What is the scientific term for 'taste'?

The story behind the answer

Gustatory perception is the scientific term for the sense of taste. It arises from taste receptor cells on the tongue and elsewhere in the mouth that detect five primary tastes—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami—and send signals via cranial nerves to the gustatory cortex. In contrast, olfaction is smell, auditory perception is hearing, and somatosensation covers touch, temperature, pain, and body position.

Remember it by the root “gust-,” from Latin gustare, “to taste,” and the phrase “good gusto” for enjoying flavors. While flavor relies heavily on smell, taste itself is strictly gustatory. Pinch your nose while eating—if flavors fade but basic sweet/salty remain, you’re experiencing pure gustation.