3.5.3.1 Senses, taste receptors and olfactory systems Quiz: AQA Food Preparation and Nutrition, Unit 4

The 20 questions

1. Which of the following is one of the five basic tastes that the tongue can detect?

   • Umami, which is a savoury taste
   • Aroma, which is detected by the nose
   • Texture, which is detected by touch
   • Temperature, which is detected by the skin

2. Which sense contributes the most to the flavour of food?

   • Smell, through the olfactory system in the nose
   • Touch, through the fingertips when holding food
   • Hearing, through the ears when food is chewed
   • Sight, through the eyes when looking at the dish

3. Where are the taste receptors that detect the basic tastes located?

   • In the taste buds on the tongue and palate
   • In the skin of the fingertips and hands
   • In the eyes and the ears of the diner
   • In the nasal cavity at the top of the nose

4. Where are the olfactory receptors located that detect aroma?

   • In the ear canal behind the ear
   • On the surface of the tongue at the front
   • In the back of the throat near the tonsils
   • In the upper part of the nasal cavity

5. Which taste is best detected by bitter taste receptors?

   • Compounds such as those found in strong black coffee or some greens
   • Salt added to a cooked meal before serving, which triggers the salty receptors
   • Sugar from a ripe banana or a sweet fruit, detected by sweet taste receptors
   • Acid from a squeeze of lemon over fish, which the tongue senses as sour

6. A cook adds lemon juice to a sauce. Which basic taste is increased?

   • Sour
   • Bitter
   • Salty
   • Sweet

7. Which sense is used to judge the texture of a food in the mouth?

   • Hearing, which detects sounds made while chewing
   • Touch, which detects crispness or creaminess
   • Smell, which detects the aroma of the food
   • Sight, which detects the colour and shape of the food

8. Why does a blocked nose often reduce the flavour a person can taste?

   • A blocked nose removes all sweetness from food in the mouth before it is swallowed
   • A blocked nose makes food feel colder in the mouth, so the taste seems weaker
   • Smell carries much of the flavour, so blocking aroma reduces the overall taste
   • A blocked nose stops the tongue from sensing salt in the food, so meals taste bland

9. Which of the following is an example of umami flavour?

   • Lemon juice squeezed over fish
   • Icing sugar dusted over a cake
   • Dark chocolate with a high cocoa content
   • Cooked mushrooms or aged cheese

10. Which factor is part of the sensory experience when someone chooses food?

    • The number of calories printed on the label of the pack
    • The price shown on the menu at the restaurant
    • The distance the food has been transported from the farm
    • The sight of the dish and its colour on the plate

11. Which pairing correctly matches a sense with the food property it judges?

    • Hearing with aroma, and touch with bitterness
    • Touch with texture, and smell with aroma
    • Taste with colour, and sight with sourness
    • Sight with saltiness, and smell with sweetness

12. Which sensory feature is judged mainly using the eyes when food is evaluated?

    • Sour taste on the tongue
    • Crunchiness heard while chewing
    • Appearance and colour
    • Aroma detected by the nose

13. Which taste receptor group is linked to the savoury, meaty flavour of cooked meat?

    • Sweet, which is the taste of sugar
    • Sour, which is the taste of acid
    • Umami, which is the savoury taste
    • Bitter, which is the taste of some plant compounds

14. A student notices that a cold food tastes less sweet than the same food warm. What is the most likely reason?

    • The food has been salted during the cooling process
    • The food has lost all its aroma while it was cooling
    • The sugar has been removed from the food by the cold
    • Temperature changes how strongly the taste receptors respond

15. Which description best explains how taste receptors work?

    • Food is broken down into sugar by the tongue before any taste is felt by the person
    • Chemicals in food stimulate receptors in the taste buds, which send signals to the brain
    • Receptors respond only to the colour and shape of the food shown on the plate
    • Receptors respond only to the temperature of food, sending signals to the brain

16. Which sense is used when a person hears the crunch of a crisp, which affects how it is judged?

    • Smell, which detects the aroma of the crisp
    • Touch, which detects the texture in the mouth
    • Hearing, which detects the sound of crunching
    • Taste receptors, which detect the salt on the crisp

17. Which statement about the olfactory system is correct?

    • It is the system that detects salt on the surface of the tongue and the back of the mouth
    • It has little role in flavour, as taste alone decides how food is perceived by people
    • It only controls the sense of touch in the mouth, such as texture and temperature
    • It detects aroma molecules that reach the nose, and this strongly affects flavour

18. Why do cooks taste and season food during the cooking process?

    • To change the colour of the food permanently during cooking
    • To reduce the calorie content of the dish by half during cooking
    • To check the price of the food for the menu before service
    • To adjust the balance of taste and aroma before serving the dish

19. Which sensory characteristic is most associated with a food's aroma?

    • Smell from volatile compounds released while the food is cooked
    • Price of the ingredients used in the recipe, which varies by supermarket
    • Weight of the food on the plate, measured by portion size when it is served
    • Size of the package on the shelf in the shop, which affects how much is bought

20. Which statement about sensory perception is accurate?

    • Sight has little effect on how a food is judged, because taste alone decides it
    • Touch and sound have no effect on the texture of food in the mouth when chewing
    • Taste, smell, touch, sight and sound all combine to shape how food is judged
    • Only taste matters when judging the quality of a food, since smell adds nothing useful

Related quizzes

• Factors which influence food choice Quiz · 3.5.1.1 · 20 questions
• Food choice linked to religion and culture Quiz · 3.5.1.2.1 · 20 questions
• Food choice linked to ethical and moral beliefs Quiz · 3.5.1.2.2 · 20 questions
• Food intolerances and allergies Quiz · 3.5.1.2.3 · 20 questions
• Mandatory and non-mandatory food labelling Quiz · 3.5.1.3.1 · 20 questions
• Nutritional labelling and food marketing influences Quiz · 3.5.1.3.2 · 20 questions
• British and international cuisines Quiz · 3.5.2 · 20 questions
• Sensory testing methods and setting up a taste panel Quiz · 3.5.3.2 · 20 questions
• Protein: biological value, complementation and alternatives Quiz · 3.2.1.1 · 20 questions
• Why food is cooked and effects of preparation on food Quiz · 3.3.1.1.1 · 20 questions