The taste buds on the tongue capture the flavor.
Flavor is the sensation that food or other substances produce in taste . This impression is largely determined by smell, beyond the response of the palate and tongue to chemical components. That is why when a person is congested they feel that food has no flavor (a term that comes from the Latin sapor ).
When food is ingested, the teeth and molars break down the contents. This process releases aromas that rise to the nose through the pharynx. Sensors on the tongue, meanwhile, also pick up the flavors of chemicals.
The language and the flavors
The sensors located on the tongue are known as taste buds . Each person has about 10,000 papillae, capable of detecting basic flavors (salty, sweet, sour or bitter). The smells, however, are much more varied.
It is interesting to know that in addition to these different flavors that we have exposed, it is also common that, due to the diet they have and the spices they use when preparing their dishes, each area of the world identifies more with some flavors than with others. .
Thus, for example, in the western part, there are basically four flavors that can be found on the table when it comes time to eat: sweet , salty , sour and bitter .
In the case of the East, others are added to those exposed, such as the case, for example, of the astringent . We can establish that it is a flavor that is represented in foods such as tea or pomegranate.
All of this without overlooking that certain cuisines, such as Mexican cuisine, are inevitably associated with a spicy flavor. And its most typical recipes contain elements such as pepper or chili.
The sensation that a substance produces in taste is called flavor.
The aftertaste
We speak of aftertaste to refer to the flavor that appears when the chemical substance of the substance is no longer found in the taste buds. It should be noted that flavor is the basis of the food industry; That is why producers use all kinds of condiments , flavorings and flavorings to highlight the flavors.
The body reacts in different ways to flavor. When faced with a very acidic substance, for example, excessive salivation occurs in the mouth with the intention of diluting the effect.
Other uses of the term flavor
Flavor, in another sense, is the impression that something produces on the mind and the property of certain things to resemble others due to their characteristics : “This is a work with a postmodern flavor,” “The tie left a bad taste for the team.” local" .
In this sense, we must highlight the existence of a verbal phrase that is used very frequently within colloquial language. We are referring to “leaving a bad taste in someone's mouth” . What is intended to be expressed with it is that a specific event has caused the person who experienced it to not have a good memory.
Thus, an example of that meaning could be the following: “The conversation with her ex-boyfriend left Eva a bad taste in her mouth due to the tension and superiority that he showed at all times.”