It has actually been found that if a person is taught to recognize a particular food by sniffing its aroma, he will not necessarily recognize it by its flavor.
What? How can that be? Don’t we recognize food by a combination of the taste in our mouth and the smell in our nose?
Definitely, but there are actually receptors in the back of our noses that picks up the odor of food as we chew and swallow that are different from the receptors in the front of our noses that we use when we take a big whiff of what’s cooking in the oven.
No doubt, the aromas we sniff in the kitchen help entice our appetite. The wonderful smells our noses pick up add to the full sensory experience of dining. However, taste recognition comes by smelling from the inside-out.
So here’s a practice my coworker, Chris, was taught at a wine tasting session (I think it applies to coffee as well): after taking a sip of your next cup of coffee – BREATH OUT THROUGH YOUR NOSTRILS. Then try to put into words what comes to mind.
Tags: Coffee Tasting
