Sweet Or Salty? How And Why We Perceive Flavors

We are able to identify flavors because this gives us an advantage: enjoying all of them increases the diversity and quality of our diet. For this reason, Chinese medicine recommends that flavors be present in all dishes to promote balance.

Notice how important taste perception is: one in four people is a “super-taster” due to genetic causes. These people, who tend to consume fewer calories and are thinner, can possess up to twice as many cellular receptors and show an increased sensitivity for bitterness and undertones.

How we perceive flavors is exciting: even color and sound influence perception! An orange mug makes the aroma of chocolate more delicious. White increases the sweet perception. On the other hand, in a noisy environment, desserts seem less sweet to us; instead, the umami flavor is experienced with more intensity.

This is how flavors are perceived

The idea that each flavor corresponds to an area of ​​the tongue is a legend. The process of perceiving flavors is much more complex and involves all the senses. Cellular taste receptors are distributed throughout the tongue, soft palate, pharynx, and epiglottis. They even exist in the lungs. They receive the chemical stimuli that reach the brain and this interprets the taste.

• Smell is the first sense that appreciates food, in a subtle way.
• The view goes after, reacts when the plate reaches the table. What we see can open our hearts and draw a smile or make us feel angry or disappointed.
• The smell then regains prominence and we feel the clearest aromas.
• The mouth begins to secrete saliva and all the chemical mechanisms that are going to intervene in digestion are activated. Taste appears, thanks to the more than 10,000 taste buds on the tongue.
• And touch also enters the scene: we feel the temperature of the food and then its texture, which can create resistance regardless of the taste. Once the food is in your mouth, the show begins.

The perceived taste is a combination of the basic taste and the smell. It’s the scent. If you cover your nose, you can barely make out the flavors. Also influence the texture and temperature. The state of mind also conditions.

What flavor do you prefer?

Personal preferences can stem from the first foods we try. Meals in the initial months of life are essential to appreciate the flavors of healthy foods. The appetite for different flavors, according to Chinese medicine, can give us many clues about our health.

• Sweet: in its right measure

Energy. The craving for sweets can lead to the consumption of excess calories from foods rich in added sugars or sweeteners. Eating fresh, whole fruits is the best way to satisfy your craving for sweets.
Chinese diet therapy: sweet is associated with late summer (fifth season in China), the earth element and the pancreas, spleen and stomach organs.

• Salty: watch out for tension

Minerals The taste for salty helps us obtain minerals. But excess salt can promote fluid retention and high blood pressure. Try to use a little less salt each time in your dishes to increase your sensitivity to taste. Includes ingredients that provide other flavors.
Chinese diet therapy: it is related to winter and the water element. It influences the kidneys and the bladder.

• Fatty: always in company

Omega 3. It is not one of the classic flavors, but the perception of fat works in a very similar way. It helps to obtain essential fatty acids linoleic (omega-6) and linolenic (omega-3). Alone it is not pleasant, but when combined with another flavor, it enhances it and makes it more pleasant. This flavor is not found in the Chinese system, which instead considers spicy as a flavor.

• Bitter: stimulates your liver

Digestive. This taste can indicate that a food is in bad condition, but it is also due to alkaloids in plants that produce a beneficial effect on the liver. They are the “healthy bitters” of cabbages, arugula or artichoke.
Chinese diet therapy: associated with summer and the fire element, it stimulates the heart and small intestine.

• Acid: antioxidant contribution

Vitamin C. Citrus fruits, rich in vitamin C and other antioxidant acid compounds, are the main healthy source of this flavor. It is also found in probiotic foods such as sauerkraut, which promote the good state of the intestinal microbiota.
Chinese diet therapy: it is the taste of spring, it provides energy and influences the functioning of the liver and gallbladder.

• Umami: avoid glutamate

Protein. It leads us to consume protein and stimulates the secretion of saliva and gastric juices. In small doses it makes other flavors more pleasant. The problem is that the industry uses it as an additive (glutamates) to make products with too much fat and salt more attractive. Some people respond with discomfort to this additive. This flavor is not among those described by Chinese medicine.