We seem to taste food with our mouth, but taste mainly happens in the brain. How does that work?
Taste is a combination of all our senses: hearing, touch, smell, sight, tasting with the tongue, and our expectations about how food will taste.
Each of us has a unique sense of taste. About one-third of people think coriander tastes like soap, while others find it fresh and citrusy. Some people can’t detect cork taint in wine, and some can’t smell vanilla. So taste really varies from person to person — and even from time to time.
The taste buds on the tongue regenerate every 4 to 6 weeks. If someone changes their eating habits for that long, their taste will change too. This is especially noticeable when cutting out salt. At first, food may taste bland, but after a few weeks, it tastes just as salty as before — because the taste buds have adapted.
There was a surprising study about taste. In people whose taste buds no longer work, taste was found to be nearly unaffected. That’s because taste is built from six senses: smell, taste, hearing, sight, touch, and mind.
Smell contributes the most to taste. If you pinch your nose, you can’t tell the difference between an apple and an onion, or between wine and cold coffee.
Sight influences taste through color. Red soda with the same amount of sugar tastes sweeter than green soda. Desserts taste sweeter when served on a white, round plate. When wine is served in an opaque glass, even wine experts can’t tell the difference between red and white.
The sound of a coffee machine affects how coffee tastes. If the machine makes high-pitched, sharp noises, the coffee tastes worse — even if it’s the exact same coffee as from another machine.
Touch also matters. Food almost always tastes better when eaten with your hands. In fine dining, textures are varied intentionally — there’s almost always something crispy on the plate.
Your mind plays a big role in taste. The first bite always tastes best and leaves the strongest impression. Food tastes better when it’s homemade, and coffee tastes best from your favorite mug.
If you want to lose weight, make sure your food has as much flavor and texture as possible — it helps you eat less. And remember: the more food you see, the more you eat. So stay away from food ads and cooking shows around mealtime.