Mouthfeel - a Strange but Important Word for Water Connoisseurs

by Michael Mascha

Flavor is the complex integration of taste, smell and the tactile sensation food scientists call “mouthfeel”. This integration of sensation happens in the brain as a result of information relayed by sensors reporting taste, smell and tactile information.

The oft-cited but misleading "tongue map" showing large regional differences in sensitivity across the human tongue is wrong. Taste buds are "skin-like" cells fairly evenly distributed on the tongue.  There are thousands of odors humans can perceive. The perception of odors can occur via the nose and the oral cavity while chewing. Mouthfeel is probably the least understood and most neglected component of flavor. The crunchiness of a pickle; the freshness of breads, the resiliency of a gum drop; the firmness of jams and preserves; the spreadability of butter, margarine and cheese; and the creaminess of puddings -- these are just a few examples of texture and mouthfeel characteristics that make food appealing and satisfying to consumers.

So when we talk about how something "tastes," we are really referring to its flavor - as an integrated sensation. (Taste + Smell + Mouthfeel = Flavor)

What does this mean? When describing the flavor of water the most important factor is the mouthfeel generated by the size, amount and distribution of the bubbles or the absence of it. The flavor of water is mainly determined by its mouthfeel and this should be the main concern when comparing water, matching food with water or deciding on the perfect stemware. This is very different then describing wine where the main factors are taste and smell and temperature is the only mouthfeel component (except sparkling wine).

We recently introduced the FineWaters Balance to help with the description and categorization of flavor in water. The FWB describes the “mouthfeel” of water based on the level of carbonization in five levels from Still to Effervescent (Badoit, Voss, Highland spring, Hildon, ...), Light (Sole, Galvanina, Ramlosa, Blu, ...), Classic (Appolinaris, Gerolsteiner, San Pellegrino, ..) and bold (Perriere, Ty Nant, Calistoga, ... ). The FWB also establishes a narrow range of temperatures that suits each level best in the context of a fine dining experience (bold: 62°F /17°C, Classic: 60°F /16°C, Light: 58°F /14°C, Effervescent: 56°F /13°C, Still: 54°F /12°C).

The FWB is the perfect tool for matching water and food. One of the prime joys of matching water and food in a multiple course meal is being able to switch waters for each course and developing a progression of waters to guide you through the meal. This is a true experience and worth the effort. Drinking different water for each course highlights the subtle difference in waters and the progression adds enormously to the dining experience. If your favorite restaurant doesn't have more than one choice of water - ask them to consider adding more options from the FineWaters Balance. We believe there should be at least one water representing each category of the FWB available in every fine restaurant.

Carbonation, or its absence, together with the size amount and distribution of the bubbles are a significant contribution to the mouthfeel of water and the prime focus on matching water and food. The FWB gives you a good indication of the "mouthfeel" of the water and allows you to match it with food. Subtle textures go better with Still or Light FWB whereas louder textures are more suited to a Classic or Bold FWB designation. There are no "wrongs" with matching water with food. Any water is fine with any food. But paying attention to the subtle differentces, can yield additional epicurean enjoyment.

Sometimes contrasting the texture of the food allows for additional pleasures. Food that comes to mind here is, for example, raw Oysters. This would go perfectly well with a FWB Still but might be more enjoyable with a FWB Light that provides additional sensation in the mouth. The same rule applies to "fusion" sushi/sashimi dishes especially when they have some spiciness Other foods that come to mind here are Hot & Spicy foods, Desserts, Sweets and Cheese. There are many dishes and food that can benefit from a contrasting FWB water selection and we would like to encourage you to experiment and find new sensations.