Food Science

When you dig into a plate of food, you know whether it tastes good or bad. But do you know why it tastes good or bad? Here’s some science to explain:

The nose knows. The Bible says God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17) When He gave us food to enjoy, He gave us something that appeals to every one of our senses. Our ears hear our food crunch. Our eyes take in its beauty—or lack of beauty. Our tongues taste it. They feel it too. But the tongue is not the star player in perceiving flavor. Most of the flavor comes through smell! As much as 80 percent of “taste” is actually aroma.

Too bitter? Don’t bite—if you’re still a baby. Babies aren’t born with teeth. But they are born with a sweet tooth! God designed babies to prefer the sweetness of milk and fruit to the bitter taste of vegetables like broccoli. That design helps keep people safe. Their dislike of bitter food can protect them from eating poisonous or rotten things, which usually have a bitter taste. That’s no excuse to not eat your broccoli when you grow up, of course. Eventually, your taste adjusts.

A match made in heaven. Scientists recognize five different “tastes”: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. (Umami is a hard taste to describe. It is kind of like salty.) Cooks think about all these flavors and how to best combine them to create a perfect flavor. A good chef knows to add something sweet if a dish is too salty or bitter. That doesn’t just mean sugar. He or she could add any sweet food—like balsamic vinegar, carrots, or peas. To balance sweetness, a chef will add something sour, like lemon.