Up to 80% of what we perceive as flavor actually comes from our sense of smell.

The human perception of flavor is a multisensory experience primarily driven by retronasal olfaction. While the tongue contains approximately 2,000 to 8,000 taste buds capable of detecting five basic qualities, the olfactory system can distinguish between thousands of different volatile organic compounds. Research from institutions like the Monell Chemical Senses Center suggests that smell accounts for 75% to 95% of the flavor experience.When we chew and swallow, food releases aromatic molecules that travel through the pharynx to the olfactory epithelium in the nasal cavity. This process is distinct from orthonasal olfaction, which is smelling through the nostrils. The brain's orbitofrontal cortex integrates these retronasal signals with gustatory data from the tongue and somatosensory data like temperature and crunchiness.A study published in the journal 'Flavour' highlights that without the olfactory component, complex foods like chocolate or coffee lose their identity and are reduced to simple bitterness or sweetness. This phenomenon explains why congestion from a cold or flu significantly dulls the appetite. Medical conditions like anosmia, the loss of smell, often lead patients to report a loss of taste even though their taste buds remain fully functional.