Is There Really A Difference Between Taste And Flavor?

Taste and flavor are the power couple of the food world, each adding a layer of depth to our culinary experience. Although many of us casually swap these terms (no judgment there), both have distinct identities. Yes, flavor and taste, though inseparable, are vastly different from each other. While taste is limited to the circumference of the mouth, helping us detect five basic sensations – sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, flavor is more immersive and uses sensory data like smell and texture to create a far more nuanced experience. Think of it this way: if taste gives us the basic notes, flavor is the full symphony.

Not that taste itself is simple. Though limited to five basic sensations, taste is a world all its own. Here's a fun tidbit: the tongue has about 25 different types of receptors just to identify a range of bitter chemicals alone! But taste by itself doesn't quite deliver. Remember when the pandemic hit and people lost their sense of smell and taste? That's because smell and taste work together to make flavor happen. In fact, smell is responsible for about 80% of what we perceive as "taste." You could be tasting the most delicious pork chops, but if you're not smelling them, they may seem lacking in flavor. So if you plan to impress someone with your cooking skills, it's best to wait until they have completely healed from the flu.

The culinary lexicon has a range of words to describe texture — from slimy to crispy to gooey — and for a good reason. Texture significantly influences flavor perception. Picture biting into a pack of potato chips that are soggy as opposed to crispy, the taste would still be salty, but the flavor would be completely altered. So when people say they don't like the taste of oysters (which is briny), it is likely that they don't like the flavor because of its texture.

Temperature is another important artist in this band because a change in temperature can alter the taste profile of any dish. If you've ever wondered why beer and wine taste less bitter when chilled, this is why. Another fun fact: while bitterness and sweetness tend to increase with a rise in temperature, saltiness or sourness do not change as much. And due to this shift in taste, the flavor automatically becomes affected. So the next time someone shouts, "Hurry, the food is getting cold", perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to take faster steps.