Well, if you are a “flavour literate,” then definitely you will be able to know the difference between taste and flavour. Flavour literate means if you are a chef, flavourist, supertasters, flavour manufacturers, who develop natural/nature-identical/artificial flavouring agents or anyone related to food & beverages industry. For rest, we would try to simplify this difference, so that you yourself can get an idea.
When we say taste, we are referring to the inside of our mouth, especially tongue. Taste is just one amongst many other senses that help us to identify the flavour. We can taste only through the inside of our mouth and tongue. Our tongue consists of approximately 25 types of receptors to help identify various numbers of chemicals. Tastebuds are one of those receptors that are scattered around the tongue in large numbers. Tongue can differential between the 5 basic tastes, such as salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami. When we eat something, these tastebuds allow the food molecules to enter the pores contained in it. Once the food molecules enter these pores, they work their way into a specialized set of cells. These are the cells which we call taste senses. The factors influencing taste perception can be biological (age/genetics/gender), social (culture), psychological (packaging or appearance).
For flavour, its a combination of taste, plus the aroma of food or drinks. Aroma is just another word for odour, which we detect through our nose. In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that 80% of the flavours that we taste comes from what we smell. Flavour can be defined as a comprehensive impression of the food we eat, its taste, texture, temperature and aroma. An assessment is done by the brain, which then combines the taste, texture and aroma of the food and this mouthfeel experience is called flavour. The factors influencing the flavour can be perceptual (expectations that are based on past food experiences on how a particular food or drink should taste), colour intensity (a slight change in the colour of a food can dramatically change the expectation and perception) and texture (it’s felt in the mouth such as smooth, crunchy, crispy).
Taste and flavour is a unique combination and can simultaneously influence how people experience their food. Also, our thoughts and memories play an equal part when it comes to experiencing flavours. There’s no second thought that we judge the food by its flavour and not just the taste. In fact, for most people, the flavour is the prime reason for selecting a particular food. Secondly, the perception regarding any food comes first by its aroma and delight accompanied by taste.
