A child bites into awatermelon, experiencing mouthfeel sensations such as juiciness
Mouthfeel refers to thephysical sensations in the mouth caused byfood ordrink, making it distinct fromtaste. It is a fundamental sensory attribute which, along with taste andsmell, determines the overallflavor of a food item.[1][2] Mouthfeel is also sometimes referred to astexture.[2]
It is used in many areas related to the testing and evaluating of foodstuffs, such aswine-tasting andfood rheology.[3] It is evaluated from initial perception on thepalate to firstbite, throughchewing toswallowing andaftertaste. In wine-tasting, for example, mouthfeel is usually used with a modifier (big, sweet, tannic, chewy, etc.) to the general sensation of the wine in the mouth.[4] Research indicates texture and mouthfeel can also influencesatiety with the effect ofviscosity most significant.[5]
Mouthfeel is often related to a product'swater activity—hard or crisp products having lower water activities and soft products having intermediate to high water activities.[6]
Chewiness: The sensation of sustained, elastic resistance from food while it is chewed
Cohesiveness: The degree to which the sampledeforms before rupturing when biting withmolars
Crunchiness: The audible grinding of a food when it is chewed
Density: The compactness of cross section of the sample after biting completely through with the molars
Dryness: The degree to which the sample feelsdry in the mouth[7]
Exquisiteness: The perceived quality of the item in question
Fracturability: Theforce with which the sample crumbles, cracks or shatters – Fracturability encompasses crumbliness,crispiness, crunchiness andbrittleness.
Graininess: The degree to which a sample contains small grainy particles
Gumminess: Theenergy required to disintegrate a semi-solid food to a state ready for swallowing
Hardness: The force required to deform the product to a given distance, i.e., force to compress between molars, bite through with incisors, compress between tongue and palate
Heaviness: Theweight of product perceived when first placed on tongue
Juiciness
Moisture absorption: The amount ofsaliva absorbed by product
Moisture release: The amount of wetness/juiciness released from sample
Mouthcoating: The type and degree of coating in the mouth after mastication (for example,fat/oil)[8]
Roughness: The degree ofabrasiveness of product's surface perceived by the tongue
Slipperiness: The degree to which the product slides over the tongue
Smoothness: The absence of any particles, lumps, bumps, etc., in the product
Tenderness: The opposite of hardness; ease of chewing
Uniformity: The degree to which the sample is even throughout or thehomogeneity of the sample
Uniformity of bite: The evenness of force throughout the bite
Uniformity of chew: The degree to which the chewing characteristics of the product are even throughout mastication
Viscosity: The force required to draw a liquid from a spoon over the tongue
Wetness: The amount of moisture perceived on product's surface
^Mouritsen, Ole G.; Styrbæk, Klavs (2017).Mouthfeel: How Texture Makes Taste. Columbia University Press.ISBN978-0-231-54324-8.
^abGuinard, Jean-Xavier; Mazzucchelli, Rossella (July 1996). "The sensory perception of texture and mouthfeel".Trends in Food Science & Technology.7 (7):213–219.doi:10.1016/0924-2244(96)10025-X.
^Katz, E. E.; Labuza, T. P. (March 1981). "Effect of Water Activity on the Sensory Crispness and Mechanical Deformation of Snack Food Products".Journal of Food Science.46 (2):403–409.doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.1981.tb04871.x.
Dollase, Jürgen,Geschmacksschule [engl.: Tasting School], 2005 Tre Tori,Wiesbaden, Germany (ISBN3937963200). German-language textbook by a renowned food critic covering some, but not all of the above mentionend properties/mouthfeelings.
