According to Mary Roach in her book "Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal," flavor is primarily determined by our sense of smell, although it also involves taste. While our taste buds can identify five basic tastes—sweet, bitter, salty, sour, and umami—our ability to perceive aroma extends to a vast array of smells. This interplay between taste and smell creates the rich experience of flavor.

Roach emphasizes that olfaction plays a significant role in how we experience food, accounting for eighty to ninety percent of the overall sensory experience when eating. This highlights the importance of our nose in appreciating the complexity of flavors in our meals.