THE SCIENCE OF SENSES

Question 1

Five taste sensations.

Answer 1

Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami.

Question 2

Example of bitter.

Answer 2

Kale and eggplant.

Question 3

Example of sour.

Answer 3

Acids such as vinegar and limes.

Question 4

Umami is best describes as…

Answer 4

Meaty or savory.

Question 5

Umami is caused by…

Answer 5

A common amino acid called glutamate (also known as glutamic acid).

Question 6

Glutamate is present in…

Answer 6

Certain fruit (like tomatoes), vegetables, and cheeses (especially Parmesan), and as part of most proteins, including meat and other dairy.

Question 7

MSG

Answer 7

Monosodium glutamate

Question 8

How is MSG produced?

Answer 8

Growing a special type of bacteria on sugar or molasses and corn, captures the power of glutamates.

Question 9

One of the most abundant, naturally occurring amino acids.

Answer 9

Glutamic acid

Question 10

Does MSG bump up the flavor of food?

Answer 10

Yes

Question 11

What is the supermarket product Accent?

Answer 11

MSG flavor enhancer.

Question 12

What are tastebuds?

Answer 12

A cluster of cells

Question 13

Are taste buds located in different parts of the tongue?

Answer 13

No, buds for various tastes are distributed evenly throughout the tongue and mouth.

Question 14

Do different individuals taste things differently?

Answer 14

Yes, genetics predetermine how many taste buds each of us have.

Question 15

Can one person can have up to 10x as many taste buds as another?

Answer 15

Yes, up to 10x.

Question 16

How do added tastebuds affect a person?

Answer 16

Things can seem sweeter, spicier and more bitter.

Question 17

What are mitigating factors of flavor?

Answer 17

Aroma, mouthfeel and certain other aspects interfere with taste.

Question 18

What masks bitter flavors?

Answer 18

Salt and sugar.

Question 19

Did adding sodium to coffee reduce bitterness?

Answer 19

Yes, a 1/4 teaspoon per pint cut bitterness in half; also worked with eggplant.

Question 20

What masks spicy flavors?

Answer 20

Sugar

Question 21

What is capsaicin?

Answer 21

The active component of chili peppers, which is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact.

Question 22

What is chemesthesis?

Answer 22

When nerves surrounding tastebuds are stimulated to signal discomfort to the brain; the chemical sensibility of the skin and mucus membranes.

Question 23

Nerves surrounding the taste buds.

Answer 23

Trigeminals

Question 24

What happens when sugars mixes with saliva?

Answer 24

Sugar draws heat from the mouth and produces a mild cooling sensation.

Question 25

Beside salt and sugar, what else is a good seasoning agent that competes with bitter flavors?

Answer 25

Acid such as lemon juice or vinegar.

Question 26

Salt used when seasoning meat. Why?

Answer 26

Coarse salt, or kosher, has large grains that are distributed more easily and cling to meat’s surface area.

Question 27

When should you season meat with pepper?

Answer 27

Depends. If you want assertive pepper flavor, season meat after searing; keeping pepper away from heat will preserve volatile compounds. Alternatively, seasoning before cooking will tame pepper’s punch.

Question 28

Should you season cold foods aggressively?

Answer 28

Chilling foods dulls their flavors, so it’s important to compensate by seasoning generously - but judiciously. Season with a normal amount before chilling and then taste and add more salt just before serving.

Question 29

When should you add herbs?

Answer 29

Hearty herbs in the beginning to release maximum flavor and make texture less intrusive. Delicate herbs should be added toward the end or they lose their bright color and flavor.

Question 30

List of hearty herbs.

Answer 30

Thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage and marjoram.

Question 31

List of delicate herbs.

Answer 31

Chives, basil, cilantro, parsley and tarragon.

Question 32

Add a little umami (common pantry staples).

Answer 32

Soy sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and anchovies contain high levels of glutamates.

Question 33

Do cold foods have a heavy aroma?

Answer 33

No, this is why they must be aggressively seasoned.

Question 34

Does aroma affect flavor?

Answer 34

Yes, the aroma that wafts up your nose from a piping-hot bowl of soup affects your perception of flavor.

Question 35

Why do food taste better hot?

Answer 35

Microscopic proteins in our tastebuds that are extremely temperature-sensitive. These proteins, called TRPM5 channels, perform far better at warm temperatures than cool ones.

Question 36

At what temp are TRPM5 channels barely open?

Answer 36

At 59ºF and below flavor perception is minimized.

Question 37

What happens to TRPM5 channels when food is heated to 98.5ºF?

Answer 37

Channels open up and TRPM5 sensitivity increases more than 100 times, making food taste markedly more flavorful.

Question 38

Molecularly, why does hot food smell better?

Answer 38

Much of our perception of flavor come from aroma, which we inhale as microscopic molecules diffuse from food. The hotter the food, the more energetic these molecules are, and the more likely they are to travel from table to our nose.