"Mouthfeel refers to the physical sensations in the mouth caused by food or drink."
Texture, such as crunchy, creamy, or chewy, plays an important role in determining flavor and is often overlooked.
Taste: Understanding the five basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami) and how they contribute to texture and flavor.
Texture perception: Understanding how our sense of touch and the physical properties of food influence the texture we perceive.
Mouthfeel: Understanding how the physical sensations of food in our mouth (such as smoothness, creaminess, and crunchiness) contribute to our experience of flavor.
Flavor combinations: Understanding how different flavors can complement or contrast each other and create complex flavor profiles.
Aroma: Understanding how smells contribute to our perception of flavor, and how aroma can interact with other sensory aspects of food to create complex flavors.
Cooking techniques: Understanding how different cooking methods can affect the texture and flavor of food.
Food pairing: Understanding how different foods can be paired together to create interesting and complementary flavor profiles.
Spices and herbs: Understanding how different spices and herbs can add flavor and complexity to dishes.
Umami: Understanding the concept of umami, the fifth basic taste that contributes to savory flavors, and how it can be enhanced in cooking.
Mouthwatering: Understanding how the sensation of salivation can contribute to our enjoyment of food, and how to create dishes that stimulate salivation.
Sweet: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of sugar.
Salty: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of salt.
Sour: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of acidity.
Bitter: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of bitter compounds, such as caffeine or quinine.
Umami: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of savory, meaty flavors.
Spicy: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of hot, pungent compounds, usually from chili peppers.
Herbaceous: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of fresh, herbal flavors.
Floral: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of floral flavors, such as lavender or rose.
Nutty: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of nutty flavors, such as almond or hazelnut.
Earthy: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of earthy, musky flavors, such as mushroom or truffle.
Fruity: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of fruity flavors, such as apple or orange.
Citrusy: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of citrus flavors, such as lemon or lime.
Sweet and sour: This is a taste profile that combines the sweetness and sourness.
Savory: This is a taste profile that indicates the presence of umami and other meaty flavors.
Astringent: This is a texture profile that gives a rough, dry, and puckering sensation. It is usually found in wine, tea, or certain fruits.
Creamy: This is a texture profile that is soft, smooth, and rich in mouthfeel, such as in milk, cheese, or yogurt.
Crispy: This is a texture profile that is crunchy and brittle, often found in fried or baked foods.
Chewy: This is a texture profile that is tough, but easy to bite and chew, often found in caramel, gummies, or meat.
Moist: This is a texture profile that is damp, juicy, and tender, such as in cooked vegetables, fruits, or meats.
Spongy: This is a texture profile that is soft and spongy, often found in cakes, bread, or pastries.
"Mouthfeel is distinct from taste."
"Mouthfeel, along with taste and smell, determines the overall flavor of a food item."
"It is used in many areas related to the testing and evaluating of foodstuffs, such as wine-tasting and food rheology."
"It is evaluated from initial perception on the palate, to first bite, through chewing to swallowing and aftertaste."
"Mouthfeel is usually used with a modifier (big, sweet, tannic, chewy, etc.) to the general sensation of the wine in the mouth."
"Research indicates texture and mouthfeel can also influence satiety, with the effect of viscosity most significant."
"Mouthfeel is often related to a product's water activity—hard or crisp products having lower water activities and soft products having intermediate to high water activities."
"Mouthfeel, along with taste and smell, determines the overall flavor of a food item."
"Mouthfeel is evaluated from initial perception on the palate, to first bite, through chewing to swallowing and aftertaste."
"It is used in many areas related to the testing and evaluating of foodstuffs, such as wine-tasting and food rheology."
"Mouthfeel is usually used with a modifier (big, sweet, tannic, chewy, etc.) to the general sensation of the wine in the mouth."
"Research indicates texture and mouthfeel can also influence satiety, with the effect of viscosity most significant."
"Mouthfeel is often related to a product's water activity—hard or crisp products having lower water activities and soft products having intermediate to high water activities."
"Mouthfeel is distinct from taste."
"Mouthfeel, along with taste and smell, determines the overall flavor of a food item."
"It is used in many areas related to the testing and evaluating of foodstuffs, such as wine-tasting and food rheology."
"It is evaluated from initial perception on the palate, to first bite, through chewing to swallowing and aftertaste."
"Mouthfeel is usually used with a modifier (big, sweet, tannic, chewy, etc.) to the general sensation of the wine in the mouth."
"Research indicates texture and mouthfeel can also influence satiety, with the effect of viscosity most significant."