tastes of salt, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami are still there. So is the
hotness of chili or mustard and the coolness of mint. What is missing
is the smell. And the fact that the olfactory components of flavor are
impaired has profound effects on the overall appreciation of flavor.
You needn’t wait until you have a cold and congestion to appreciate
the contributions of olfaction to flavor. Simply pinch your nostrils to-
gether so that you cannot draw air through your nasal passages. Then
eat or drink something and notice what happens to the flavor. Where
did it go?
Sweet here, bitter there—
key to our survival, and—
flavor exquisite.