Why Does Food Taste Dull When We Have a Cold?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hey there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why does food taste dull when we have a cold?

The Big Idea

When you have a cold, food can taste dull, like the flavor got turned down. That is because your stuffy nose blocks the smells that travel to your smell sensors. Your tongue still works, but it cannot do the job alone. Your nose and mouth are connected, so they share the job.

Cold Stuffs the Nose

Step one: a cold stuffs the nose. Mucus and swelling clog your nose passages. It is your body's way of fighting a cold.

Smell Path Is Blocked

Step two: the smell path is blocked. Tiny smell molecules float up from food toward the back of your nose. But when the path is blocked, they cannot reach your smell sensors.

Tongue Still Works

Step three: your tongue still works. It can still taste sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. But most of what we call flavor comes from smell.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look at flavor. Your tongue has taste sensors for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Your nose has smell sensors that pick up thousands of scents. And your brain mixes both into the flavor you enjoy. Together they make every meal a little adventure.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! Flavor is taste plus smell. Most of a food's flavor actually comes from smell. Your sense of smell comes back when your cold goes away. So be patient, and rest up! Your nose is quite a busy sense organ.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! Get a grown-up to help with a safe snack, like a jelly bean. Pinch your nose closed and taste it. Let go of your nose while chewing. What changes when the smell arrives?

Outro

A cold will pass, and your yummy flavors will come back! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!