Simply put, taste happens on the tongue, aroma happens in the nose, and flavor is the full experience created when taste and aroma work together. 

Taste occurs in the tastebuds on the tongue and is a response to compounds in food that tell our brain if the food we are eating is sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami or a combination of them.  

Aroma is the smell of something; the human perception of aroma is complex. When odors enter our nasal passage, they send signals to the brain to determine aroma.  Aroma is much more complex than taste because there are millions of possible aroma combinations. The brain helps identify and interpret these smells, such as fruity, smoky, floral, spicy, roasted, or fresh. 

Flavor is the overall eating or drinking experience created by taste and aroma together. Flavor is made of ‘aromatic’ compounds. When you chew or swallow, aromatic compounds from the food travel to the nose, where they help the brain recognize what you are eating. That is why a peach tastes like a peach, an apple tastes like an apple, or candy can taste like fruit. Without aroma, food would mostly be limited to basic tastes, which is why food can seem dull when you have a cold. 

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