Seasoning Quiz
Sugar
Like sugar that rounds off a dish's sharp edges, you stay close every day and help people relax.
Sugar comes first in “sa, shi, su, se, so,” the basic seasonings of Japanese cooking. In simmered dishes, it's said to be best added before the others, since it takes longer to soak in. It softens sharp salty or sour notes and rounds out the whole flavor.
Like sugar, you'd rather soften the edges around you than set the direction yourself. Your way of speaking is gentle, and in everyday exchanges you quietly ease the air whenever it starts to get tense.
Sugar holds on to moisture, keeping rolled omelets soft and sweets moist. In the same way, you look out for the people around you so they don't dry out. But while blending in for others, you sometimes leave your own thoughts dissolved and unsaid. Now and then, keep a little of your own flavor.
Strengths
- You can gently ease the mood when things start to get tense
- You can take the edge off someone's words and say them in a way that's easier to hear
- You can stay by people's side every day, at the same steady pace
Where you may stumble
- While softening the edges around you, you end up not saying what you think
- Your gentle way of speaking can round off even the fact that you disagree
- When you're given the role of deciding clearly, you're unsure how to put it
Sounds familiar, Sugar?
- When an argument starts brewing, you're already up making tea
- When someone's words come out harsh, you rephrase them: “I think what they mean is…”
- To make it easier for others to talk, you share one of your own small blunders first
Where you shine
Places where opinions are starting to clash, or among people who see each other every day. A gentle word from you tends to ease the air.
Tips for “Sugar”
- Before softening things, say one thing you think first
- When you disagree, keep the tone gentle but don't change what you're saying
- Before going along with others, write down one line about what you want to do
Matches
See every match in the Seasoning Quiz compatibility chart →
Vinegar — Vinegar tightens things up when it really counts. In the room Sugar usually keeps mellow, Vinegar steps in with a word at the deciding moment, so things get properly settled while staying mellow.
Soy Sauce — Soy Sauce sets the direction at the center of everyday life. Like a sweet-and-savory sauce, when Sugar adds softness to the direction Soy Sauce has set, decisions go down easily with everyone.
Sesame Oil — Sesame Oil changes the mood completely at key moments. To Sugar, who adjusts the room a little each day, a word from Sesame Oil seems to change the flow all of a sudden; to Sesame Oil, Sugar's way of adjusting looks slow. It's hard for them to fall into step.
Close neighbors
These differ from this one on just 1 of the 3 axes. If one of your axes was near the middle, you may have their side too.
Which one are you? 18 everyday situations, about 3 minutes.
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