# Is there any way to empirically measure flavor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 18, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-empirically-measure-flavor/219742 "2003-12-18T13:47:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-empirically-measure-flavor/219742/1 "2003-12-18T13:47:45Z")
I have recently read about how some people add a pinch of salt to the grounds when brewing coffee. I’ve tried it, and it may taste better. But I can’t really be certain. This, _of course_, led me to wonder whether there’s any way to scientifically measure the difference between the flavor with salt and the flavor w/o salt. Or measure any other flavor, for that matter. Can flavor be distilled to a number or chart? ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-empirically-measure-flavor/219742/2 "2003-12-18T14:17:45Z")
[Scoville Units](http://groups.msn.com/FoodiesCorner/scovillescale.msnw) are pretty empirical but someone will have to take on the salt in coffee thing. I know lots of chefs put salt in chocolate as well. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-empirically-measure-flavor/219742/3 "2003-12-18T14:24:47Z")
Scoville units were the first thing that came to mind when I saw this question; obviously similar methods could be employed for any chemical present in food that gives it the flavor under examination. I wonder if anyone ever considered making the Scoville the standard unit of flavor? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-empirically-measure-flavor/219742/4 "2003-12-18T15:26:51Z")
The Scoville scale is really to measure the “heat” of peppers. I know of the Brix scale, which is used to measure the sweetness (sugar content) in stuff like wines and other beverages, candy, etc. Any scale to objectively measure a particular flavor would necessarily involve measuring the chemical component of that flavor. The Scoville scale measures the capsaicin content of peppers (which is what makes them hot) and the Brix scale measures sugar content. There might be a scale to measure saltiness based on salt content, and so forth. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-empirically-measure-flavor/219742/5 "2003-12-18T15:30:51Z")
There are sweet scales, sour scales, salty scales, and heat scales. You can measure the output of foods with these ‘scales’. Actually, since the tongue can only taste on these scales (am I missing one?) they are all that go into taste. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-empirically-measure-flavor/219742/6 "2003-12-18T15:40:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, since the tongue can only taste on these scales (am I missing one?) they are all that go into taste. I seem to remember the bitterness scale, although that may have less to do with the taste of food as with my personal relationship history. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-empirically-measure-flavor/219742/7 "2003-12-18T15:40:54Z")
Except that a lot of what we call taste is really smell. Also, mouthfeel is an integral part of taste. So simple scales like those would not be able to capture the full nuances of taste. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-empirically-measure-flavor/219742/8 "2003-12-18T16:27:08Z")
Don’t forget _Umamé_ - but as **Shalmanese** says, aroma receptors that are also responsible for the sense of smell are vitally important to the perception of taste.