Flavor is defined as the combination of which senses?

Flavor is defined as the combination of which senses?

• A. Taste and Smell
• B. Taste and Texture
• C. Smell and Texture
• D. Color and Taste

Answer: (A)

Flavor arises from the brain combining input from taste and smell. Taste provides the basic categories—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami—through the taste receptors on the tongue. Smell contributes a vast array of aromas that we detect through the nose; much of what we perceive as flavor comes from these aromas traveling retronasally as we chew and swallow. Texture and other cues affect how flavor is experienced, but the essential senses that define flavor are taste and smell.

Flavor arises from the brain combining input from taste and smell. Taste provides the basic categories—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami—through the taste receptors on the tongue. Smell contributes a vast array of aromas that we detect through the nose; much of what we perceive as flavor comes from these aromas traveling retronasally as we chew and swallow. Texture and other cues affect how flavor is experienced, but the essential senses that define flavor are taste and smell.