Enjoy Your Food Even More by Slowing Down the Pace
You’ve probably read that eating slowly can keep you from overeating , but it turns out that it also contributes to a more pleasant sensory experience.
This is because your tongue is a little awkward. It’s great for detecting six basic flavors (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami, and possibly fat ), but according to a study published this October, when it comes to discovering more complex flavors, you need a little help. from the nose, not just through the nose.
Click below to read the full study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (or an abstract if you don’t feel like paying ten dollars), but the bottom line is that when you inhale through your nose, the flow creates an air wall between your mouth and throat. preventing volatiles from entering the lungs. When you exhale, air passes through the back of your mouth and carries these volatiles to your nose, where you can enjoy them. If you toss food down your throat, you break this pattern, and all these wonderful volatiles are not stored and channeled properly. I don’t know if this is critical to enjoying the Big Mac, but if you enjoy a good meal with many complex flavors, slow down, breathe, and enjoy.
Optimal Targeted Transport of Volatile Substances in Retronasal Smelling | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences via NPR