[704] Bhikkhus, suppose a foolish, incompetent, unskilled cook were to serve a king or a king's chief minister with curries (sūpa) of various kinds: predominantly sour, predominantly bitter, predominantly pungent, predominantly sweet; alkaline and non-alkaline; salty and unsalted. That foolish, incompetent, unskilled cook does not pick up the sign of his own [master's] food (bhattanimitta): 'Today this curry-and-rice of mine finds favour, or he reaches for this one, or he takes much of this one, or he speaks in praise of this one; today the predominantly sour curry-and-rice of mine finds favour, or he reaches for the predominantly sour one, or he takes much of the predominantly sour one, or he speaks in praise of the predominantly sour one; today the predominantly bitter … of mine; today the predominantly pungent … of mine; today the predominantly sweet … of mine; today the alkaline … of mine; today the non-alkaline … of mine; today the salty … of mine; today the unsalted curry-and-rice of mine finds favour, or he reaches for the unsalted one, or he takes much of the unsalted one, or he speaks in praise of the unsalted one.' That foolish, incompetent, unskilled cook does not gain [gifts of] clothing, does not gain wages, does not gain bonuses. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, that foolish, incompetent, unskilled cook does not pick up the sign of his own [master's] food.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.