The Science of Taste
15 January - 12 mins
Podcast Series
Show Me the Science with Luke O'Neill
Why do some people love wine, while others can’t stand it? Why did Covid strip food of its pleasure for so many? And how much of what we call “taste” is really happening in the nose, the brain, and even our memories?
This week's podcast takes on a listener-requested topic: the science of taste and flavour. Professor Luke O’Neill explains why taste is far more complex than the tongue alone, with up to 80% of flavour driven by smell and only around 20% by taste itself. He walks through the five core tastes — sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami — and explains how specialised receptors in the tongue, nose, throat and even the stomach detect chemicals in food. These discoveries were so fundame...
Series Episodes
