Book 1, Question 16
Why Does Food Taste Weird When You Have a Cold?
Why does your favorite snack suddenly taste blah when you are stuffed up? Flavor is taste plus smell: your tongue senses sweet, salty, sour and bitter, while your nose picks up tiny scent particles. With a cold, mucus and swelling block those scents, so your brain gets only part of the flavor message. Hot soup can still feel good because warmth and texture are sensed by touch, not smell. Once your nose clears, food tastes amazing again!
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 1
More fun facts
- Taste starts with tiny molecules that are released when you chew, drink, or digest food.
- Flavor is a team effort. Taste, smell, heat, cold, and texture all combine to make the flavor you notice.
- Without smell, foods tend to taste bland, with little or no flavor.
- Many people who think they lost their sense of taste find out it is really their sense of smell that is not working.
- Your mouth also has a common chemical sense. Thousands of nerve endings, especially in the moist parts of your eyes, nose, mouth, and throat, add to how food feels.
- Taste helps protect you. It helps you notice spoiled food or drinks.
- When a cold or flu is the cause, normal taste should come back once you feel better.
Sources: National Institutes of Health, MedlinePlus, MedlinePlus
Questions kids ask
Will my taste come back after a cold?
Yes. When a cold or flu is the cause, normal taste should return as you get better.
Why does food taste bland when my nose is stuffed?
Much of what we call taste is really smell. Without smell, foods tend to taste bland.