Smell and taste classification of the same stimuli

Although it has long been known that the perception of flavor depends on olfactory sensations originating within the mouth (i.e., retronasal perception), little is known about how olfactory input is integrated in the flavor complex. In the present study, the qualitative contribution of odor to flavor was explored. Participants judged the smell and taste of pairs of substances (liqueurs). Each set of judgments was analyzed by means of multidimensional scaling, and the scalings were then statistically compared. The results revealed specific perceptual dimensions, namely, sweet-sour, harsh-mellow, which underlie both sensory modalities. In contrast to previous findings, the results show that the characteristics of flavor reflect olfactory attributes that can be apprehended outside the mouth.