The sensation of food in our mouths

I've mostly encountered the world through my mouth since I can remember. I used to rush up to the kitchen counter when I was a kid to eat slice after slice of warm, handmade bread coated with salty butter. The crunchy shell of the gingersnap gave way to the chewy, fragrant center with a simple movement of the tongue and jaw, and it was a revelation on my first bite. My sense of taste seemed extrasensory—a superpower designed for purposes other than basic survival. I was in a state of happiness and felt oddly thankful that something, one thing, could make me feel so good.

The experiences of different people vary. Our taste buds are sophisticated. But whether you're a super taster with almost 10,000 taste buds or the ordinary person with 4000 taste buds, it all begins with chemical interactions.

Chemoreceptors in our tastebuds allow us to detect the five basic flavors of sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. Taste receptors are largely found on the tongue, but they are widely dispersed throughout the mouth, digestive system, and even the testes, albeit they are not related to the brain.

Because every chemoreceptor has a different level of sensitivity, some people can taste more salty than sweet and some people can taste more sour than bitter flavors. Some taste combinations, such as Sour Patch Kids, are sensed. But fundamental taste is only the base.

The sensation of food in our mouths is another factor. Both texture and temperature are important (think about hot ice cream or cold pizza). We also have receptors for these other tastes and sensations (crunchy tastes different from chewy; just ask bacon and potato chips).

We may create countless combinations using the five tastes, each of which has a different strength level, along with the other feelings.

However, there's still more.

In reality, taste combines almost all of our senses. Through smell, our nose adds flavor, which is likely the most significant component. Aroma molecules from chewing pass via the back of the throat and up the nose, where they trigger odor receptors. There are about 400 varieties of those, which allow us to differentiate between Merlot and Pinot Noir and Morbier and Comte. By detecting how food appears and sounds while we eat, our eyes and ears also contribute. What about silent Rice Krispies or yellow blueberries? Also, I cannot.

The underlying question is: How do we choose what to eat? All this talk about stimulating receptors may sound very technical and scientific. And why does it seem like heaven is in my mouth in my case?

My doctor brain must first be drained of all its soul before it can respond to this question.

So let's begin:

The sensory profile of a particular diet affects various brain regions, the most fundamental of which is the basal brain, which is necessary for survival. Our base brain warns us not to swallow something if it tastes like poison or rotten milk. Other impulses travel to higher functioning regions, such as the ventral forebrain, which regulates feelings and memories, or the dorsal region, which causes us to seek particular flavors. An emotional memory will be triggered by a certain food once those neural connections have been established. Our brain causes us to want to devour the memory if it is pleasant. We'll want to spit it out if it's bad.

Alternatively put

Do you recall your first experience with birthday cake as a child? It was attractive and had a pleasant scent. The flavor was fantastic, and the sugar rush left you feeling wonderful. The rich crumbly cake has a smooth texture thanks to the creamy icing. Every birthday cake you experienced after that probably brought back memories of your first one. You're joyful. You want to consume it. So you consume it, and after doing so, you experience an upbeat feedback loop. Maybe Marie Antoinette was right all along with her perverted knowledge.

The difficulty of dieting is also explained by this brain loop. We are biologically programmed to consume tasty food. Making meals that have the ideal balance of sweet, salty, and fat to make our brains crave them is even based on science. The joy point is the name of it. Cheetos exist for this reason.

Hormonal factors have a further role in how eating affects how we feel. When we consume carbohydrates, such as those found in bread and ice cream, our gut breaks them down to sugars. Our brain releases serotonin, a hormone that makes us feel sleepy, happy, and secure, when blood sugar levels rise. After a long day at work, a large bowl of spaghetti is very alluring.

Taste is a complex concept. It serves as the entrance to my inner universe in my instance. I can browse through my collection of recollections whenever I need to feel something and pick a flavor. A little indulgent chocolate. For comfort, fry some chicken. I can hide in a bowl of fettuccine alfredo with truffles or sob into a roast pork sandwich. The joy never stops because I have to eat every day for survival. I can start afresh when I get up in the morning.