h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I 'taste' colours. And it isn't related to colour preference; a couple of my favourite colours taste bad, and some colours I dislike actually taste pretty good. I'd love to know the science behind that one - I wonder if it's a way of recognising poisonous substances in nature...

This type of synesthaesia IS rare, right? I just googled some words and there are many "taste shapes" but much less "taste colours."

How does it feel then? Are there advantages? Personally I think that everybody has synesthaesia to some extent; it is more pronounced in some people!

Leave it to me to have an odd variety of an odd phenomenon...

I can't say that it has a whole lot of advantages. I mostly notice it when certain decorating schemes or items of clothing make me queasy. And not only do the colours have 'taste', they have texture as well. Grey is kinda furry, blue has the mouth-feel of good chocolate but otherwise doesn't taste too good, pink is sweet and bitter. Not surprisingly I prefer monochromatic, bland decorating and clothing schemes - give me a nice pale beige (coffee ice cream) any day ...

On the other hand, synethesia in general makes for more vivid experiences, and that's not all bad.