Chemesthesis: Pungency as a component of flavor

Long referred to as the ‘common chemical sense’ and frequently described imprecisely as ‘trigeminal sensitivity’, chemesthesis provides the burn of chili pepper, the coolness of menthol and the tingle of carbonation. This article is a brief overview of our current understanding of the nature of this sensibility, including its relationship to the senses of pain and temperature, how it interacts with taste and smell, and why, despite its capacity to produce pungency and pain, it is a prevalent and desirable attribute of flavor.