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The nose pinch test is a simple yet effective demonstration of how smell plays a significant role in flavor perception. When you pinch your nose, you block the airflow that carries odor molecules from the mouth to the nose, which is essential for retronasal olfaction. This action significantly reduces the perception of flavor, as you can only taste the basic tastes—sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami—without the rich, complex flavors that are typically associated with food. The results of the nose pinch test underscore that a substantial part of what we perceive as taste is actually smell, as indicated by sources like Science World, Quora, and Wikipedia. Images such as those from Exploratorium and Frontiers in Young Minds help visualize the process of how taste and smell work together to create the perception of flavor.