I know it’s a weird request, but:
I’ve been steadily losing my sense of smell over the past few months because of sinus issues. (Doctor thinks it’s just allergies.)
It makes certain foods (like pizza) very bland, while other foods don’t seem to be affected that much.
I know that taste has a lot to do with smell, but it seems that different foods are affected to different degrees by my numb nose.
Any suggestions for foods that are more about taste than smell?
Toast with marmelade.
Hot and sour soup from a Chinese restaurant. Pretty much whatever ails ya, it’s good for it.
You should be able to taste sweet, bitter, salty, and sour even without smell. So, tart things and deserts. Plus salty nuts, chips, etc.
My grandfather, who had no sense of smell, really liked rhubarb–chocolate didn’t do a whole lot for him.
Yeah, I’ve been finding salty things irresistible. I seem to be able to taste cheese, and vegetables like broccoli. But herbs are almost undetectable. Garlic and onions I seem still able to taste, if I use them in enough quantity.
Raw chopped onions make a great featured garnish in brothy foods, from stews to pinto beans (cooked Southern style). You may be able to taste them if you put them on plentifully.
Sushi and sashimi with lots of wasabi? That might help to clear out your sinuses – at least temporarily.
Oh, and mustard. Anything vinegary. Maybe cooked greens slathered with white vinegar.
Pho (Vietnamese) or Tom Yum (Thai) soup. Ask for it extra spicy.
Or for Mexican instead of Asian get a nice spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup.
I seem to be able to taste Mexican food more than Italian. I haven’t had Chinese food in a long time. I think I’ll have some this weekend.
Sadly, things like sushi or Vietnamese or Thai foods aren’t really available here. I could buy sushi at the supermarket, but then a food snob will hyperventilate. 
Oh, and I meant to mention that I haven’t tried wasabi, but horseradish hasn’t been effective in clearing this up. There’s a local restaurant where I order a grilled chicken sandwich and they serve it with a cup of the most deliciously pungent horseradish I’ve ever had. But we went last week and it barely even hurt. It was a sad moment, with no eye watering, or sobbing, or wincing.
Mint, most kinds, and ginger.
Lemon pepper.
Ginger is an idea.
Mint is out of the question. As a child, I suffered The Mint-cident. So that’s one flavor that is never welcome back into my life.
Lemon pepper fish sounds good. I think I’ll try that.
Go out and buy the spiciest beef jerky you can find. The spiciness, coupled with the chewing, will clear you up real quick.
A vicious-hot Thai curry ought to restore your sense of taste. Remember: if your forehead isn’t sweaty, it’s not hot enough. Works on my sinus/congestion issues, at least temporarily.
Is your goal to find foods that will alleviate your condition, or to find foods that will taste good despite your condition?
Soups and spicy foods are both good for temporary relief of a stuffy nose. They cause the nasal passages to open, which helps you breathe and, presumably, to taste.
On the other hand, if you just want to find foods that you can taste while you have a stuffy nose, the idea of seeking out flavors that register on the tongue (rather than in the nose) is a good one. Liberal already mentioned four “tongue” flavors: salty, sweet, sour and bitter. There’s also a “tongue” flavor that in Japanese is called “umami,” which roughly means “meaty.” Glutamates (including MSG) have this flavor. Meats and cheeses have the umami flavor.
The spiciness associated with chile peppers is technically a pain reaction, not a flavor. Still, you can detect it your mouth even when your nose is stuffed up. So spicy food has a double advantage for you: you can taste it, and it tends to unstuff your nose. I assume the same would be true of black pepper, even though the chemicals that cause black pepper to taste “hot” are different from those that cause spiciness in chiles.
The latter. No food is going to fix whatever’s wrong with my sinuses.
Thanks for the tips.
My boyfriend has a very limited sense of smell. I dont know if its related but he doesn’t like coffee or tea. Loves rootbeer though. Savoury flavours. Gingerbread, spice cake made with lots of allspice, nutmeg, cardomom.