> > As I explained to Sam in an e-mail because this bothered me so much, this is why Howard is right: If you'll remember, we were taught in little kid school that the things our tongues can taste are: sweet, bitter, sour, and salty. That's it. That's them. Nothing else. Anything else (orange flavor, brussels sprout flavor, butter flavor) you *think* you're tasting, you're really only smelling. Of course, because your nose and mouth are so closely connected, you can still "smell" things in your mouth, but basically, if you hold your breath, you're only going to get one of those four tastes.
> >
> >
> > > Not having checked the Site Journal in a while, I enjoyed reading some comments about the sense of taste. I thought I should offer this little insight.
> > >
> > > If you have to eat or drink something that tastes bad to you, just hold you breath. I found this out many years ago when I lived in an area that had minerals such as sulfur and iron in the water.
> > > It works with medicines, too. You just hold your breath until you have swallowed it. For a little extra insurance, use a chaser like water, lemon, crackers, etc.
> > >
> > > It also works with brussel sprouts. Onions are another story, but then I like onions.
> > > Howard
>
> But wouldn't everything you eat have a diffrent ratio of 'salty, bitter, sweet, and sour'? So an orange would still have it's own taste, since it has a unique ratio of the four flavors our mouth can taste?
>
> Speed'tastless&tacky'ball

Nope. Not how it works. Those four things do not combine in different ratios to make up differents tastes like, say, colors do. Not the same thing at all.