how does a fish taste its food?

Answer 1

No it doesn't have to do with smell. Fish have taste buds just like humans. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/young_naturalists/fishsense/index.html

This site will confirm by answer plus we raise Koi fish

Answer 2

It's more a question of smell. Try blindfolding someone, pinch their nose and give them a piece of raw potato, and tell them it's an apple - they won't be able to tell the difference. You need to be able to smell to be able to taste. Fish have very good smell receptors which can enable them to locate food in murky water or at night time.

EDIT:
I still say it's due to their sense of smell.

Answer 3

I'll go with answer #2... and also add that the creature with the greatest sense of taste is actually the catfish, whose sense of taste is somethign like 30,000X more powerful than a human's. Kind of makes you wonder just what in heck is so tasty about mud, doesn't it??