New understanding about where flavor comes from could have important implications for everything from fruit breeding to making more healthful processed foods.
Traditionally, scientists who study flavor have drawn a distinction between taste — sweet, salty, sour, bitter and (lately) umami — which is picked up by the tongue, and aroma — all those other impressions that make food delicious — which is picked up by the nose.
It turns out, it’s a lot more complicated than that.
Recent experiments have shown that not only do some aromas influence our sense of taste, but that the impact can be quite profound.