The Flavor Perception Game was designed with the goals of developing an interactive and hands-on activity, providing a platform to review chemical senses of the five tastes, promoting student investment in the course material, and providing a basis for discussion on chemical senses of the five tastes. Knowledge of taste sensation is useful for nursing and exercise sciences students, as human physiology is integral to both baccalaureate curricula. The game is inexpensive, easy to incorporate into a 50-minute lecture period, and free of chocolate allergens. Student participants (N=34) tasted three candies and completed a voluntary anonymous poll regarding their detection of the presence of umami, bitter, sweet, salty and/or sour taste modalities in the different candies. During the three stages of this classroom game, a total of 214 taste selections were made, following which students discussed various aspects of taste sensation including its importance in healthcare
