To tell the truth, it is partly the fault of our own brain: in processing our multi-sensory perceptions when we eat (or drink) something really delicious, it gives us the illusion that all that pleasure is born in the mouth. In fact, only a quarter of that sensation belongs to taste: the rest, the predominant 75%, is a matter of smell. And in many cases, according to Charles Spence, professor at the University of Oxford and author of the book “Gastrophysics. The new science of eating”, that percentage could even rise to 90%. Basically, it is the nose that makes the difference at the table, and not the palate.
In fact, olfactory perceptions, explains the expert, do not only concern – as one could intuitively argue – smells (which also play their part), but also the aromas themselves, which are also volatile molecules and which reach the olfactory papillae for retronasally, rising from the mouth to the nose when we exhale. “Smells create expectations – writes Spence – while aromas are crucial in the perception of flavour”. A typical example of a so-called "nasal" flavor is food served cold, such as ice cream or wines. They are rich in active olfactory molecules, and once placed in the mouth, contact with human heat releases all these substances, creating a real explosion of flavour, a large part of which is received by the nose.
The sense of taste, therefore, is greatly overrated: according to experts, the palate is only able to distinguish between sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami, while the range of experiences recorded by the sense of smell is much wider. Flavor is nothing but the combination of taste and smell, but with the prevalence of the second in distinguishing every nuance of that sometimes so intense pleasure that we feel at the table. If you don't believe it, do an experiment: with your eyes closed and holding your nose, you would not be able to distinguish what you are ingesting. At the same temperature (which can help you guess), you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between red wine and coffee or between olives and apples.
