Are there any factors that can determine whether a dish will taste good other than experience?

Are there any factors that can determine whether a dish will taste good other than experience? - Side view of content ethnic man in casual clothes and apron feeding happy wife while preparing delicious dinner at stove in kitchen

What is the most analytical theory available for why recipes will taste good, such that they could be designed ahead of time and predicted to be tasty, and explained why?



Best Answer

It is incorrect to assume that there is no theory about the pairing of ingredients that result in a tasty recipe. Of course, many factors are at play when determining which ingredients work well together when combined. Ingredients that are commonly cultivated or harvested in close proximity were often historically used together, for example. This created a culturally accepted range of flavors, that became expected or understood to work. You may have heard the adage, "if it grows together, it goes together." There is something to it, generally speaking, of course.

However, more to your point, there are also some folks looking at the chemistry. These folks have been working at it for a while as well. It is an interesting question, with a theory, and the scientific testing of the theory that, I believe, is on-going.




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What factors might impact the taste of food?

11 Factors Influencing Taste Perception
  • Age. Taste discrimination tends to decrease with increasing age. ...
  • Meals. Sensitivity is reduced for between one and four hours after a meal, depending on what the meal included. ...
  • Hunger. ...
  • Smoking. ...
  • Obesity. ...
  • Pregnancy. ...
  • Colds/Flu/Allergies. ...
  • Disease.


What factors help us determine taste?

The tongue recognizes five basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami\u2014a savory aspect associated with meat and mushrooms....In recent years, a growing number of studies have shown that taste can be influenced by a host of surprising factors.
  • Language. ...
  • Utensils. ...
  • Temperature. ...
  • Color. ...
  • Environment. ...
  • Expectations. ...
  • Memory.


Which sense can you use to determine the flavor of a dish?

Taste, smell and flavorOnly after taste is combined with smell is a food's flavor produced. If the sense of smell is impaired, by a stuffy nose for instance, perception of taste is usually dulled as well. Like taste, our sense of smell is also closely linked to our emotions.

What 5 factors affect the perception of flavors?

Terms in this set (5)
  • temperature. Temperature - Food sat warm temperatures offer the strongest tastes. ...
  • Consistency. Consistency - A food's consistency affects its flavor. ...
  • presence of contrasting tastes. ...
  • presence of fats. ...
  • color.




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More answers regarding are there any factors that can determine whether a dish will taste good other than experience?

Answer 2

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Humans can taste/smell hundreds of different flavors representing thousands of different compounds. What "tastes good" or not is as much a matter of experience and acclimatization as it is anything inherent.

As such, there is no universal theory of "what tastes good", nor could there be.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Gary Barnes, Karolina Grabowska, Katerina Holmes, Marko Klaric