Smell and Taste

We have finally made it to the last of the senses:  smell and taste.  We went through the receptor mechanisms of each and their pathways to the brain.  One monk said that he had read that only the front part of the tongue, a crescent-shaped area, provided information about taste.  He asked if that was true.  I said let’s go into the other room and do an experiment to find out.

Small, wrapped, hard, fruit-flavored candies were placed on the tables.  The monks were told to break the candy into small pieces and to taste these on different parts of the tongue.  The monks also tried to taste the candy when it was “dry” and compare it to when it was dissolved in their mouths. As a final experiment, the monks pinched their noses closed, and tried to identify the flavor of the candy.

The monks observed that it was necessary to dissolve the candy for it to be tasted.  Also, it was obvious to them all that smell was important to the perception of taste.  I also went back to the monk who had asked about the crescent-shaped area at the front of the tongue.  I asked him if he tried to taste the candy with other parts of his tongue.  He said he could taste the candy with other parts of the tongue, but the taste was not as strong.