The Taste, definition in few words

The taste is the result of stimulations, starting from the visual to the final sensation in mouth:

1) Visual : a dish that looks nice already tastes nicer than the same dish that doesn't look as nice
2) Tactile: and maybe nowadays we forget about this perception a lot. Think about eating something with your fingers or with a fork. It doesn't taste the same because you in fact have that tactile sensation that gives you a complementary information
3) Olfactive: before you have it in mouth, the aromas gives you other information about what it's going to taste like
4) Taste in mouth, and after taste. In mouth, you have the flavours, the texture, the temperature...

The taste is therefore the combination of all these sensations, which once perceived physiologically is translated by the brain which then gives qualities to the taste, depending on your personal and social experiences. It is therefore not only defined by what you perceive when you eat, as each step before the food or wine etc comes in mouth has given an infomation about the flavours and have already been interpreted by the brain.

This interpretation depends on your individual or personal story: some aromas have strong emotions related to them (perfume of your mum, a cake you use to eat every sunday with your grand father, leaves you use to smell in your garden, smell of sweat when you were in the subway, smell of dust and humidity of your underground cellar...). There are also simply aromas you are more familiar with than others: if you were raised in a tropical country, you'll know about the natural taste of mango, palm tree oil, sweet potatoe etc., and maybe you will have a bit more difficulties with red berries, chesnut, camomilla etc.
Now the social interpretation: your social environment, the society you were raised in and live in formats your taste. A cricket is a delicacy in some places of Asia when it appears impossible to serve it in a restaurant of Europe. A thick crust pizza is generally not appreciated in Italy, when a thin crust doesn't appeal much to an American. Cheddar is commonly appreciated by an English when a French likes a stinky runny cheese. However, you will sometimes find a european liking insects, an American eating thin crust pizza and an English loving a reblochon.

We are therefore not equal in front of the taste, and the fantastic thing is that there is no box the taste closes you in.