How Taste Works

Throughout our lives, taste, like aroma, guides us to seek out food that nourishes and to reject the food that might be detrimental to our health. Taste is intimately connected to memory. As we eat and taste food over time, our brain files away little snippets of information that help us associate food tastes with memories, either good or bad. Sweet- and savory-tasting foods signal a source of nutrients and energy for the body; bitter- and sour-tasting foods alert us to potentially harmful toxins and chemicals.