FEATURED ARTICLEYummy! Yucky! Icky! Tasty! Know What Your Clients Like (and Hate) to EatStudy after study on food trends point to taste as the number-one reason people choose the foods they eat. So while we know that people need to eat dark leafy greens, piles of whole grains, and lean protein and dairy sources for optimal health, perhaps a way to our patients’ hearts is through their stomachs.“Taste” is one of our five senses. The word “taste” is also used in reference to descriptors we have assigned. But flavor is a multisensory experience and doesn’t come from just food on the tongue; flavor is a combination of a number of sensory experiences, including smell (odor), sight (visual appeal) and touch (texture). While the taxonomy of taste varies among authorities, it is generally accepted that there are five main categories in which we describe food: salty, sour, sweet, bitter and, more recently, savory (also known as umami). In terms of the biological sense of taste, where a flavor fits within these five categories is primarily determined by the chemical makeup of the food. For example, “salty taste” is a result of the presence of sodium chloride and other salts, while sour is from acids and sweet is from sugars and other proteins. But more often than taste, it is smell that can alter the way we experience flavor. The olfactory receptors (nose and mouth) are connected. As we put food Current subscribersLogin to download this issue as a PDF |