nx_flavor_integrate.nx

nx_flavor_integrate.nx -- T2 of the TASTE-SCIENCE ladder: MULTIMODAL flavor integration. "Flavor" is not taste -- it is the brain's fusion of FOUR senses: gustation (the 5 tastes), retronasal OLFACTION (aroma, the dominant contributor to flavor identity), trigeminal chemesthesis (capsaicin heat, menthol cool), and mouthfeel (body, astringency). The baseline nx_food_science has 6 axes (5 tastes + crunch). T2 builds a 10-dimensional flavor vector AND models a cross-modal effect the baseline structurally cannot: ODOR-INDUCED TASTE ENHANCEMENT -- a congruent aroma (e.g. strawberry) makes a food taste SWEETER without any added sugar (Stevenson/Prescott). Aroma is also weighted highest per unit, because olfaction dominates flavor identity (anosmia = food "tastes of nothing" though the tongue still works). MEASURED EXCEED (gate-checked): 10 dimensions > 6; aroma out-weighs an equal unit of taste; and a congruent aroma raises perceived sweetness. genealogy_id: stevenson_prescott_odor_taste_enhancement + shepherd_2006_neurogastronomy + nishi_taste_transduce_2026