Are using your senses of taste and smell

Are you tasting & smelling your food?

While having a family dinner at a restaurant I realised there was no salt in one of the dishes. I called the waiter & explained to him. He immediately replaced the dish.

The chef came to us, apologised, and said,
"Sir, I have added a few interesting spices in this dish, how is it?"
I said "the dish tastes very nice".

The chef politely asked "Sir, which spices are you liking in this dish?"

His question was tough, so tough that I could not answer. Yes I was so caught up in the activity called eating that I forgot to even use my basic senses. I said to the chef its strange, I must confess "I am unable to differentiate the spices".

The chef was kind, he quickly went inside, brought the spices. What ensued was a session on how to use my senses of taste & smell.

As a child I could do this so easily but as an adult I was just unable to use my basic sense of taste & smell.

Are you using your senses of taste and smell?
Or just eating food for the sake of eating it?