1. General Discussion
Taste refers only to gustatory sensations called bitter, salty, sour, and sweet that result from chemical stimulation of sensory nerve endings located in the papillae of the tongue and soft palate. Flavor refers to a complex of gustatory, olfactory, and trigeminal sensations resulting from chemical stimulation of sensory nerve endings located in the tongue, nasal cavity, and oral cavity.1 Water samples taken into the mouth for sensory analysis always produce a flavor, although taste, odor, or mouth-feel may predominate, depending on the chemical substances present. Methods for sensory analysis presented herein require that the sample be taken into the mouth, that is, be tasted, but technically the sensory analysis requires evaluation of the complex sensation called flavor. As used here, taste refers to a method of sensory analysis in which samples are taken into the mouth, but the resultant evaluations pertain to flavor.