Body & Senses
Why does food taste different when my nose is blocked?
Flauschi discovers that the nose joins in at mealtimes.
The short answer
Tongue and nose work together when eating. The tongue detects basic tastes such as sweet or salty; the nose adds many aromas. A blocked nose loses those smell clues, making food taste different or less varied.
An imagined Wusel scene
Puschel and Flauschi investigate
Prepared apple and pear pieces sit on the picnic blanket. Flauschi holds an apple slice near her nose and sniffs.
Flauschi“The apple introduces itself before I take a bite!”
Puschel smells his pear. Puschel“My nose has a place at the breakfast table.”
Flauschi“In people, chewing sends smells from the mouth to the back of the nose. Smell and taste work together.”
Puschel“What if the nose is blocked?” Flauschi“Then many smells may be missing. You can still notice tastes like sweet or sour.”
They eat quietly. Once his paws are empty, Puschel points to his nose. Puschel“You can join in again!”
Little Wusel quiz
What may you still notice with a blocked nose?
Choose one answer: a), b).
- a)A basic taste such as sweet
- b)Nothing at all
Show answer
Correct answer: a): A basic taste such as sweet A basic taste such as sweet may remain; smells in particular may be missing.
What helps you experience an apple?
Show answer
Taste and smell work together. Temperature and texture also contribute.
Word help
- cell
- A tiny living unit. Living things are made of cells.
- molecule
- A small group of connected atoms, tiny building blocks of matter.
Explore in more detail
Here you will find longer explanations and further details. You can explore them together.
Understand step by step
How it works – simply explained
The tongue provides one part
Taste cells respond to sweet or salty tastes, for example, and send messages to the brain. That alone does not explain the whole flavour of an apple.
The nose helps from inside
While chewing, scent molecules travel from the mouth to the nose. Smell cells signal the brain, which combines smell, taste and mouthfeel. Fruits differ by more than sweetness alone.
A blocked nose changes flavour
If scent molecules reach smell cells less easily, some information is missing. Food often seems less aromatic, though the tongue can still detect sweet or salty tastes.
Sweetness alone does not identify a fruit
Apple and pear can both taste sweet, yet often taste different overall. While chewing, different aroma substances reach smell cells through the back route to the nose. Taste and mouthfeel also contribute. The brain combines this information. A blocked nose may reduce aroma. No blindfolded food test is needed to understand this example.
References for this explanation: [1]
The key points again
Discovery 1
Several senses work together when we eat. Tiny taste cells on the tongue detect the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. Umami is the name for a savoury taste.
Source: [1]
Discovery 2
Chewing releases smells that can travel from the mouth to the back of the nose. Smell detects them there. Taste, smell, temperature and texture combine to create our overall experience of food.
Source: [1]
Discovery 3
A blocked nose can weaken our experience of smells. Food may seem less flavourful, although basic tastes can still be noticeable.
Source: [1]