Learn how temperature can affect the taste and flavor of foods

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Studies show how temperature and sensitivity can affect the perception of umami taste in foods

São Paulo, March 2022 – Have you ever had the experience of eating a food and feeling that its perception was altered by temperature? Whether very hot or very cold, be aware that this change can indeed happen.

Hellen Maluly, PhD in Food Science from Unicamp and consultant to the Umami Committee, explains that sensitivity to different temperature levels is part of somatosensory perception, which is a mix of different sensations received by the skin and mucous membranes.

Temperatures are physical stimuli that range from hot to cold. Contact with different temperatures stimulates specific structures located in the epidermis, skeletal muscle, among other organs, which activates thermoreceptors (receptors for temperature). If the stimulus is very intense, it can also reach nociceptors (receptors for pain).

However, sensitivity to the basic tastes is a bit different, as they are stimuli caused by chemical substances that come into contact with receptors on the tongue and the roof of the mouth. “So far, science has detected different types of receptors for five basic tastes — sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami — but there are already published studies reporting taste receptors for other sensations,” clarifies Maluly.

Nevertheless, all stimuli, whether physical or chemical, are processed by the brain in specific regions according to their intensity and duration. Studies on associations between different stimuli are called crossmodal. Some research on the topic has verified that nonselective channels involved in the signal transduction of receptors for sweet, bitter, and umami tastes can be sensitive to different temperatures, which may increase or decrease such sensitivities.

In addition, results also showed that the umami taste is dependent on the salty taste and, to evaluate this relationship, monosodium glutamate and monopotassium glutamate were used in the experiments. It was found that at the tip of the tongue the effects were similar, but this did not occur across the entire mouth. When associated with the salty taste, sensitivity increased when the temperature was reduced to 10 degrees Celsius.

But, after all, is there an ideal temperature?

The specialist explains that ideal temperatures are those at which the recipe allows you to have the experience without the mouth being affected by its intensity. However, each food or beverage will require a serving temperature, which should respect the host’s preference and culture.

UMAMI

It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami confirmed the existence of specific receptors for this taste in the taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances.
The two main characteristics of umami are increased salivation and the lingering taste that remains for a few minutes after eating.
To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br.