Jan Gundlach invites you to explore the astonishing world of flavours. Flavour is the combination of olfactory sense, gustatory perception and chemisthesis or to put it more simply, it is the interaction of aroma, taste and touch.

When we consider olfaction, or sense of smell, it is important to realise that many of the sensations we describe as taste are actually aromas; think for a moment about how the distinct smells of food, wine or other beverages influence our perception of what we are eating.

While some fragrances like vanilla, lime, hazelnut, freshly baked bread or just brewed coffee is readily identifiable other aromas combine to form what is known as a bouquet. This term is commonly used to describe wines; hence we may have a wine in which the bouquet is described as fruity, floral or earthy.

For us to experience aroma it is necessary for the flavour packed molecules or etheric oils, to travel, in the form of vapour, to an olfactory zone in the nasal passage. Here a concentration of flavour sensitive nerve cells transmits the information to the brain. Heating and movement increases the release of flavour molecules - this explains why we experience a more intense aroma from hot food than we do from cold. And why it is necessary for a wine taster to swirl the wine in a glass before inhaling; movement creates heat which helps to vaporize the wine thus releases more flavour molecules.

Closely aligned to our sense of smell is taste. The average person is equipped with some 10,000 taste buds. Connoisseurs of fine food or wine tasters don't necessarily have more taste buds than people less experienced in food and wine matters - it is the education that makes all the difference.

There are five basic taste sensations; the more common ones are sweet, sour, bitter and salty. The one that is less well known but which is very important is umami - this taste, not only allows us to experience the savoury characteristics of food, it also plays an important role in wine and food matching

While taste is often associated with our sense of pleasure it has to be remembered that tastes are primarily the sensory signals that stimulate the body to prepare for the arrival of nutrients. Thus stimulated appropriate physiological and biochemical reactions occur which foster the digestive and metabolic processes.

While some cultures classify astringency as one of the taste sensations the writer sees it more closely linked to touch and perception. Astringency, pungency, spiciness and the bubbles in champagne provide sensations that are experienced physically, through the mucous membrane as well as the taste buds, and are commonly referred to as touch or mouth feel. This form of stimulation is known as chemesthesis.

While it is important to realise that our sense of smell and taste is subjective and is related closely to our past experiences it is also related to our present physiological state. A sense of well being and adventure will greatly enhance our enjoyment of good food and wine.