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January 10

Term for some stronger flavor that masks another flavor, often weaker, during short time intervals?

Is there a term for the phenomenon that happens when a stronger sweet flavor masks a weaker sweet flavor after consuming the stronger flavor before the weaker flavor? It is a real, observed phenomenon. Also, what is it called when a person thinks he is tasting a particular flavor based on the color of the drink, even though the actual flavor of the drink comes from a different source? Sometimes, a person may drink purple-colored, orange-flavored water and assume falsely what he is drinking. Is there a term for this kind of trickery on his brain? 71.79.234.132 (talk) 05:31, 10 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Well, an aftertaste is the one that shows up later, so perhaps a foretaste might be one that you taste first. StuRat (talk) 06:35, 10 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

But isn't a foretaste something like an appetizer towards something more substantial that will come later on, rather than one of the many tastes that one experiences while eating? This sounds more like a science than a language question. — Cheers, JackLee ^–talk– 07:10, 10 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

No, I don't think it's foretaste or aftertaste. It's a known fact that tasting a very sweet drink can render a less sweet drink tasteless. 71.79.234.132 (talk) 22:43, 10 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

For the first, how about "masking flavor"? That gets a bunch of hits. Clarityfiend (talk) 08:16, 10 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

That doesn't sound very technical. 71.79.234.132 (talk) 22:43, 10 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Does "masking agent" work better? I think so. InedibleHulk (talk) 00:12, 14 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]