I’m asked this question almost immediately after I’ve explained that I was born without a sense of smell. And the answer is this: Yes, sort of. I heard a statistic many years ago (so I’m not sure if it’s very reliable) that smell only affects roughly 30% of taste. Again, not sure if that is accurate or not…
To Elaborate:
Now, since I’ve never been able to smell I really don’t have a point of comparison. But I can give you an overview of what I can taste based on conversations with other people who can smell (olfies, as some anosmiacs like to call them).
I can taste general differences (sweet, sour, bitter, fruity, etc.)
So yes, I can tell the difference between coffee and tea, chocolate and carob (how is carob a substitute for greatness?), etc. What I can’t distinguish between are the subtleties of foods and drinks. Starbursts, for example, all taste fruity to me (yes, even the yellow ones). I can’t distinguish between Cherry or Strawberry, though oddly enough I am drawn to my favorite color, red.
Also, I can taste the difference between boxed wine and “real” wine, red wine and white, but I can’t appreciate other flavors in it like, say, a hint of oak (I’ve never understood that one!).
Starbucks coffee has never tasted “burnt” to me (it’s wickedly strong though!), and overheating milk (can you really burn milk?) in cappuccino doesn’t change the taste to me.
I taste a lot by texture.
The texture of food is very important to me since many dishes have a lot of different ingredients and spices that kind of cancel each other out. For example, if you pair cinnamon with any stronger spice, I won’t be able to taste the cinnamon; however, alone I can taste cinnamon just fine. I can’t taste garlic. I can’t taste nutmeg. I can’t taste a lot of the powered stuff. I love curry. Real curry and the grocery store powered stuff. Anyway, because of my inability to taste a lot of spices, I think, I tend to “feel” food more so than simply taste it. I can’t stand chili! The texture reminds me of one of the side effects of flu season or forgetting the rule “liquor before beer” (if you follow…yuk!).
Oh, and if it feels like baby food…forget it!
Other Factors
Since I can’t smell food cooking, I am never appetized by it. If someone talks about food, or I see food…then yes, I will get start to get hungry. Sense memory baffles me. I am always intrigued when people say that a certain food cooking reminds them of their grandmother.
- May 28, 11:42 AM
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1 · Janet · May 29, 12:33 PM
Dude, I don’t know very many people who can tell if a wine has a hint of oak, cypress, or whatever either. This article was very helpful. I won’t make you eat mobu tofu or oatmeal if you come to visit!
:-)
2 · MichellePendergrass · Jun 2, 07:12 PM
Okay. On the Starbucks thing. When people say that sometimes Starbucks tastes burnt, I think they mean it has a bitter, overcooked taste to it. What do mean when you say you can taste that it’s strong? (I know the difference for myself between weak coffee and strong coffee, but I’m wondering if our descriptions are the same?)
3 · Heather Ackmann · Jun 2, 07:29 PM
To me, regular Starbucks coffee kind of tastes like espresso to me. Only the strength of espresso dies once I gulp it down; Starbucks kind of coats my tongue and stays with me for a few hours (Yeah, I don’t really like Starbucks coffee—but I hear it’s a great company to work for!).
4 · Michelle Pendergrass · Jun 4, 10:49 AM
Well, I think in this case we might be tasting the same thing. Regular Starbucks brewed coffee is not appealing to me. I get an Iced Americano (espresso with water and lots of ice) then I add peppermint or pumpkin and some half and half.
The half and half tones down the strong bitter taste enough that my mouth doesn’t cringe when I drink it and the itty bitty little bit of peppermint or pumpkin gives it just a hint of sweetness.
5 · Heather Ackmann · Jun 4, 11:05 AM
So “burnt” equals “strong” in Starbucks-speak? hmmm…interesting…
6 · Dana · Jun 4, 06:10 PM
I find I am drawn to textures as well, and your description of spices is accurate. I use the Starbursts example with people I meet, too! I love/hate extreme things…for example, I love mint flavored candy/ice cream/poptarts/etc. but I can’t really tast the mint unless it’s overpowering. Same with sour things. But I hate spicy/hot foods. I can’t stand the mildest of mild sauces – it’ll taste really hot to me.
Also, to answer the question…I definitely taste, I just don’t have the sense of smell to add to my experience, like everyone else.
7 · Heather Ackmann · Jun 23, 05:47 PM
Oh…you’ve just reminded me Dana…I also used to hate spicy/hot foods, even simple ground black pepper…that is until recently.
My allergies/sinuses got really bad around the age of 21-22, and I started eating spicy foods simply because that was the only thing that really seemed to help clear the pathways.
I have no idea if any of this has any connection to anosmia…I’m looking though…
8 · Jodi · Jul 6, 11:04 PM
I am wondering if anyone else experiences this… I cannot smell at all (traced back to childhood), I think I can taste most stuff, but people make comments that I use too much salt or spices, etc.
What I’m wondering is if anyone else cannot smell, but can feel sensations up their nasal cavity. For example, when I spray perfume I can “feel” the alcohol go up my nose.
So maybe as far as being able to smell bleach rather you’re feeling the slight tingling sensation that smellers get along with the smell.
Did that make any sense?
9 · Heather Ackmann · Jul 7, 11:52 AM
It makes perfect sense Jodi. We really need a science person here to comment on certain chemicals like rubbing alcohol and their “feel.” I was not good in chemistry.
I also use a ton of salt, though I’m recently trying to cut back.
10 · Jacqui · Nov 5, 01:16 AM
I can relate so much with what you wrote. Starbursts – exactly! I can’t tell the difference either. I can tell when coffee is burnt though.
As for stuff “canceling each other out”, I’m not sure if that is the same with me or not. I’ve been suspicious sometimes when people will describe how something tastes and I don’t understand how they are picking up each and every distinct flavor like that.
Texture is pretty important to me as well. I cannot stand homemade mashed potatoes. The lumps completely gag me. Yuck.
On a purely logical level I can understand the “smell reminds me of grandma” thing, just like a style of clothing or a particular piece of jewelry might remind someone of a relative. But it is a little weird when people say how something they smell immediately reminds them of something just the same.
11 · Taylor · Jan 5, 08:26 PM
i’m also a congenital anosmic, but i just found out that there are internet groups and everything about it… i read your article, and its EXACTLY what i’ve been trying to explain to people for so long about how i CAN taste (even though i can’t smell)…i’ve also experience much of what you discussed, like not being able to taste garlic, not being able to distinguish starburst/skittles flavors, and relying on textures a lot when tasting… thank you so much for writing this… its such a great feeling to find so many other people experiencing the same things that i have dealt with for so many years… :)
12 · Term papers · Feb 8, 04:43 AM
What you can’t distinguish between are the subtleties of foods and drinks. Star bursts, for example, all taste fruity to you (yes, even the yellow ones). you can’t distinguish between Cherry or Strawberry, though oddly enough You are drawn to your favorite color, red.
13 · JF · Mar 9, 09:09 PM
I too have no sense of smell, but I did have it many years ago, so I can remember what things smell like. My sense of taste is unaffected and I can taste subtle differences in pretty much everything. I can most certainly distinguish between the different Starburst flavors (colors)! The yellow is my least favorite. I do recall when I was able to smell, that flavors were enhanced SLIGHTLY compared to now, and many people I have talked to refuse to accept this. They insist that smell and taste are the same thing and you cannot have one without the other – what ignorance!
When it comes to food, I love to cook. I use my sense of taste all the time when preparing dishes. I love preparing elaborate meals and using exotic ingredients. On the other hand, I do not “love” to eat, as so many people do, rather I just enjoy the taste. Quantity does not matter to me in that I do not eat to keep my stomach topped up (Americans are WAY guilty of this), but only to exercise my taste buds. Also, there is no food that I dislike – I will taste/eat pretty much anything. Texture has no effect on me either, unless it’s a squirming giant grub or something bizarre like that.
What I find rather enjoyable, is the benefits of not being able to smell. I am totally immune to nausea, and can literally wade knee-deep through a waste encrusted sewer with no gagging, vomiting etc (not that I would choose to do that mind you). No smell, no matter how intense, will affect my constitution in any way. Any vile odors simply have no effect on me. If someone stinks – I remain unaware of it. If someone farts – nothing. The same holds true for public restrooms, cigarettes, cigars, and any other thing that people usually complain about when it comes to smells. I love this ability, and I always secretly laugh inside, when I see someone overreacting to some odor they claim is making them sick – it is hilarious to me.