Why does food not taste as good when a person has a cold?

Answer:
The tongue is only part of how we taste food. When we have a cold our olfactory receptors in our nose become inhibited. The olfactory receptors are actually more sensitive than our taste buds. Thus, we taste largely because we smell. We taste because we can smell and thus if our smell is disrupted, our taste is disrupted. It's the same concept if you hold your nose while eating.

---

A lot of your sense of taste is actually based on receptors in your nose -- if you can't smell, you can't taste as well. Just try, when you're totally well, drinking a bit of coffee or orange juice or something with your nose plugged.

---

the taste buds are often linked to scent and the nose is generally affected by a "cold".

---

Because the two senses of smell and taste are closely associated with each other and if you can't smell something you can't taste it either. There is an experiment you can try to prove this. You get a blindfold. and someone slices an apple and an onion. You plug your nose and you taste each item and you won't be able to tell the difference then you unplug your nose and taste them again and you will be able to tell the difference in taste because of the smell.

---