A Taste of Chemistry
Perception of Taste
INTRODUCTION
• Flavor and taste are both perceived based on genetic and environmental factors, leading to individual differences. Dr. Albert F. Blakeslee conducted a taste and smell demonstration and and published his paper in Science in 1935. He discovered, people’s perceptions varied greatly and were affected by even cooking methods. We will simplify his demonstration and compare our results.
ICEBREAKER
• What is your favorite food?• What is your least favorite food?• How often do you eat home cooked meals?• Do you consider yourself a picky eater?• Do you consider yourself an adventurous eater?Are you a more adventurous eater than your
friends and family?
MATERIALS
Collect the following
a cup of watera paper towela sampling tray of food & beverage
items
*(DO NOT SAMPLE ANY FOODSTUFS UNTIL INSTRUCTED BY YOUR TEACHER)
SAMPLES
A Leaf of Cilantro (Arugula)1 Olive1 Grape Tomato1 Broccoli “Tree”1 Celery Chunk ( ½ inch)1 Sour Candy Ball1 Piece of Dark Chocolate1 Tonic Water Sample
PROCEDURE
• Eat each food sample in the order it is given. • After eating each sample, complete the survey item• Drink a sip of water in between each sample to rinse the last
taste• Continue until you have sampled every food item• Graph your results and compare them to that of your
classmates
MEAL SURVEY Use the scale below ranging from 0 to 100 with zero “0” representing a strong
dislike and one hundred “100” representing a strong like.