A Bloody Mary may be a great way to take the edge off during a long flight, but according to science, that savory-spicy concoction actually tastes better at 30,000 feet.

According to a new study conducted by Cornell University, sweetness is suppressed “in noisy situations—like the 85 decibels aboard a jetliner,” while the taste of umami-rich foods like tomato juice was “significantly enhanced.”

Umami, often known as the fifth taste, is a Japanese term that is used to define the rich, savory flavor of foods like mushrooms, miso, aged cheese, and tomato. Scientists link it back to the way our taste receptors receive amino acids like glutamate.

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https://www.yahoo.com/travel/bloody-mary-tastes-better-on-plane-119609493732.html

I really love scientists. They once again made air travel just that little more enjoyable.

Everybody, hug a boffin today.

And here I was thinking that quality ingredients and the right amounts of them, defined the taste.

I have one question though for the scientist. What about other noisy situations like a disco for example ?

Yermanee

And it wasn't until 2006 that "science" figured out that the idea that the idea of a taste map on the tongue (an idea taught in schools for ages) was completely false.

The notion that the tongue is mapped into four areas—sweet, sour, salty and bitter—is wrong. There are five basic tastes identified so far, and the entire tongue can sense all of these tastes more or less equally.

As reported in the journal Nature this month [Aug 2006], scientists have identified a protein that detects sour taste on the tongue. This is a rather important protein, for it enables us and other mammals to recognize spoiled or unripe food. The finding has been hailed as a minor breakthrough in identifying taste mechanisms, involving years of research with genetically engineered mice.

This may sound straightforward but, remarkably, more is known aboutvision and hearing, far more complicated senses, than taste.