Taste Memory: How the Sensation of Food is Recognized by Our Brain

Taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing – how chemical and physical stimuli relate to the awakening of emotions

September 2021 – Who hasn’t heard the famous phrase “cooking is an act of love”? The idea passed down through generations about the affection involved in preparing food may define what we call taste memory. Eating certain foods provides comfort and awakens nostalgic memories commanded by our brain, which, after receiving different stimuli and sharpening the five tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami), triggers nostalgic feelings.

The combination of chemical stimuli (taste and smell), physical stimuli (sight and hearing), and mixed (touch) awaken affective memories directly linked to food, associating the consumption of certain dishes with emotions that accompany life at different stages. The lingering taste that stays with a person for years is activated by the recognition of stimuli by taste cells on the tongue, which identify different flavors and send electrical messages to the central nervous system—the system responsible for receiving and processing information.

Dr. Hellen Maluly, PhD in Food Science and consultant to the Umami Committee, points out in the study “The References and Gustatory Adaptations of Human Beings” that affective memory linked to food stimulates recollections accumulated throughout life and to all stimuli already received, whether chemical or physical, thus allowing us to choose what we want—or don’t want—to feel at the time of eating.

Foods that Stimulate Cognitive Functions

When it comes to food and everything related to it, it is not possible to specify which foods stimulate cognitive functions, since everything is tied to cognition. “For example, breast milk, which may provide the umami taste thanks to the presence of the amino acid glutamate, is the main source of nutrition for the baby and may shape the first perceptions regarding senses and tastes, initiating the cognitive process that depends on learning, memory, and attention. This is the moment when the brain begins to build a sensory library that will accompany the individual throughout life and awaken taste memory based on personal experience,” explains Hellen.

With the introduction of solid foods and the presentation of different ingredients, children expand their knowledge and development of the senses: taste, by perceiving the basic flavors; vision, by identifying the colors of food; smell, by expanding their aromatic library; touch, by experiencing different textures and temperatures; and even hearing, which may be linked to sounds from food or the external environment.

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 taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances. Its two main characteristics are increased salivation and a lingering taste that lasts for a few minutes after eating. Learn more at www.portalumami.com.br.