What taste science is all about...

  • From Mouth and Nose...

    Where I discuss the nature of taste buds
    and the olfactory system and their nerves

  • ...to the Brain

    Where I describe what happens when the taste and smell nerves send messages to the brain.

  • People Differ...

    Where I explain the sources of individual differences in taste sensitivity.

  • The Geography of Taste

    Where I speculate about the reasons for population differences in sensitivity.

  • The Tastes of Wine

    Where I talk about our research with my friend Tim Hanni MW (Master of Wine).

  • The Tastes of Tea

    Where I explore the sensations you experience when you sip a cuppa.

  • A bit of our Research

    Where I lay out some curious results from our research into taste and smell.

  • About Virginia

    Where I reveal my story (or at least the Taste Science parts of it).

"The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star."

Anthelme Brillat-Savarin/La Physiologie du Goût

Here's our latest news!

Coffee & Tea Festival Philly 2015

Tea, and coffee too! Will be at the the 3rd Annual Coffee & Tea Festival 2015 in Philadelphia, November 7 and 8.
I’ll be giving a free talk on Saturday at 12:30 entitled
“Which Food, Which Coffee, Which Tea? Using Science to Take the Guesswork Out of Pairing Food with Your Favorite Beverages"
Should be a lot of fun experiencing flavors come and go like magic! And I will be bringing my exclusive tea/spice/herb pairing charts for sale at my booth.

World Tea Expo 2015

On May 6th, 2015 I was at the World Tea Expo in Long Beach California, to give a Skill-Building Workshop, "The Organoleptic Experience of Tea: Why and How," with Donna Fellman of the World Tea Academy.

We talked about the molecules in tea and how they got there, then let the participants discover what these molecules do when they reach your palate and send flavor messages to you brain. A very exciting and enlightening time was had by all!

As a participant at World Tea Expo noted in our Facebook page: "I really enjoyed it and hope I can sign up for another of your sessions at WTE in the future!”

I've outlined the different experiments and their results in my Pairteas Facebook page.

"It's fun to get together and have something good to eat at least once a day.
That's what human life is all about - enjoying things."

Julia Child