The Science of Flavor with Arielle Johnson

About This Episode

What is flavor? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore the science of what makes some foods tastier than others, what is “umami,” and how flavor changed in the 20th century with food scientist Arielle Johnson.

Learn about the fundamental mechanisms of flavor and how molecules help make our favorite foods taste so good. We break down orthonasal and retronasal olfaction and why our sense of smell is so important for taste. Is it true that there are different areas of the tongue that taste different flavors?

We talk about the different flavors and the most recently confirmed one: umami. What is umami and how do you find a “new” flavor? We discuss the interaction of environment and genes on taste as well as how cooking changes flavor. Learn about the flavor of a Maillard reaction. How much of cuisine was a happy accident? 

Why do foods that are bad for us taste better? We explore artificial flavorings, the decline in flavor of produce, and Arielle’s new book Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor. Plus, we answer fan questions like: How do flavors change as you age? Can we engineer vegetables to taste better? Can you make soda out of helium? And, what does chicken actually taste like?

Thanks to our Patrons Lisa Pulkrabek, David Guilbault, TheRealErikEvans, Daniel Jones, Joshua Troke, Chris Hampton, Shaun Grossman, Pete Evans, Chris Love, and andrea nasi for supporting us this week.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.