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travel from the back of our mouths to our noses, where they stimulate our olfactory system. Without this, much of the flavour of the food we’re eating is missed, as opposed to just what is perceived by our tastebuds.

There are other sensations besides taste that take place in our mouths. The TRP-V1 protein is activated by heat—a mouthful of hot soup, perhaps, but also by capsaicin (hot chillies), piperine (black pepper) and allyl isothiocynanate (hot mustard). The TRPM8 protein is triggered when we eat cold foods like ice cream, and it’s also responsible for the cold feeling we get when we eat foods with menthol, mint or eucalyptus flavours.

Chilli peppersThere are receptors that are activated when we eat hot foods like chillies. Image adapted from: Lukas Matheou; CC BY 2.0

The texture and consistency of the food—how it feels in our mouths—is also important to how we perceive its taste and whether we like it. Scientists have spent a lot of time investigating the rheology (the way liquid matter flows) and tribology (how oils and fats lubricate both the food and our mouths as we eat) to understand how these factors affect people’s food preferences.

The way we perceive taste is influenced by a whole range of different factors, from our tastebuds to our genes. There’s a lot going on when you enjoy your morning cup of coffee or a deliciously salty chip.

This article was adapted from Academy website content and reviewed by the following experts: Professor Russell Keast Centre for Advanced Sensory Science and School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences; Deakin University; Professor Margaret Allman-Farinelli Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney; Dr Ingrid Appelqvist Senior Research Scientist, Agriculture and Food, CSIRO