Taste and Smell Connection

This activity demonstrates how smell influences our sense of taste. By holding the nose while eating candy, participants notice that flavors become muted and difficult to identify until scent molecules reach the olfactory system.

1. Partner with a friend for the activity.
2. Close your eyes and pinch your nose shut.
3. Have your partner place a flavored candy (such as a Life Saver® or gummy ring) in your mouth without telling you the flavor.
4. Try to identify the flavor while keeping your nose closed.
5. Continue to observe how the taste changes as the candy dissolves.
6. Release your nose after a short time and notice how the flavor suddenly becomes recognizable.

📄 Your Sense of Taste - Exploratorium: https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/your-sense-of-taste

• Try with different types of candies (fruity, minty, sour) to see which are easier or harder to identify.
• Compare results between people with clear sinuses versus those with a stuffy nose.

• Use small, hard candies with caution to avoid choking hazards.
• Participants should remain seated while doing the activity.

• Why is it difficult to identify candy flavors when your nose is closed? (Most of what we call “taste” is actually smell; without olfactory input, only sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami are detected.)
• Why do foods taste bland when you have a cold? (Congested nasal passages prevent scent molecules from reaching the olfactory receptors.)
• What are the five confirmed tastes, and what possible additional tastes are being studied? (Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami; fat and carbonation are possible additions.)
• Why might bitter taste receptors be located at the back of the tongue? (To help detect toxins and trigger protective reflexes such as vomiting.)