We Use Our Nose to Taste

Have you ever noticed that when you have a stuffy nose that the foods you eat suddenly taste bland? That’s because flavor we perceive is actually a combination of our sense of taste and aroma. Our nose is a powerful tool when we perceive taste. But have you ever wondered why? Here’s everything that you need to know:

A cool experiment to do with your kids is to have them test simple fruits and vegetables. Once normally, and once while plugging their nose. Ask them to note the differences in their perception of the flavors both ways. You’d be surprised at just how differently they’ll describe their experiences. In fact, this would be an interesting test for you to perform yourself. Try it with simple foods, and then try with more complex dishes that have a wide variety of ingredients with differing tastes. Complex flavor profiles can be drastically changed without our sense of smell, in fact, there might be specific flavors that you no longer perceive without it.

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