Can you taste food properly without seeing or smelling it?

Answer 1

Vision is not needed for taste, although the presentation of a plate can increase the appreciation of a meal.

The sense needed for taste is smell. A large part of taste is sensing the volatile compounds released as you chew. The tongue can only sense sweet, salt, sour and bitter. There is a classic experiment, usually performed in High School Biology classes: the subject is blindfolded so they can't see what is being offered, and the nose is plugged so the sense of smell is removed. The experimenter offers some chopped raw potato to be chewed and swallowed. He then offers chopped raw onion to be chewed and swallowed. The subject cannot tell the difference between the two foods until the nose is unplugged, at which point there is a violent reaction when the volatile oils in the onion hit the sensors in the inner parts of the nose and sinuses,

There have been studies done with elderly people complaining that food has no taste anymore, and it's been found that the problem is not reduced sensitivity in the tongue and mouth, but a reduction in the sense of smell.

Answer 2

Yes. It is very possible. Lots of people can't smell, but they can taste anything even better. because when a sense dies, another sense (or multiple senses) are "upgraded" so they work better.

Answer 3

Without the sense of sight or smell, the ability to taste food may be diminished as these senses are interconnected and help enhance the overall eating experience. However, the taste buds on your tongue can still detect the basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, allowing you to perceive some flavor.

Answer 4

you can without seeing but not without smelling