nongustatory

Nongustatory is an adjective used to describe phenomena, stimuli, or processes that do not involve the sense of taste. The term combines the prefix non- with gustatory, which relates to tasting or the gustatory system. It is used in sensory science and related fields to distinguish non-taste modalities from gustatory ones.

In sensory science and psychology, nongustatory modalities include olfaction (smell), somatosensory sensations such as texture and mouthfeel, temperature, and chemesthetic sensations like spiciness or cooling. Nongustatory cues can influence perceived flavor and eating behavior even when the tastant remains constant, illustrating the multisensory nature of flavor perception.

Researchers may contrast gustatory responses with nongustatory responses to study how taste interacts with smell, texture, and other mouth sensations. The term is commonly encountered in discussions of experimental design, sensory evaluation methods, and flavor science, where isolating or controlling nongustatory factors helps to clarify gustatory processing.

Etymology and usage: nongustatory is a straightforward negation of gustatory. Some writers hyphenate the form as non-gustatory, but both spellings are used to indicate anything outside the realm of taste.

Related terms include gustatory (taste-related), olfactory (smell), chemesthesis (chemical irritation sensations), and somatosensory (touch-related) modalities.