why is there a noticeable delay in taste sensation?

Answer 1

A substance should dissolve in mucus and saliva. An insoluble substance is tasteless. Different food items have different substances and solubility.. After dissolving the solution spreads to different areas of tongue and palate. There are different areas of taste for different solutions. Tip of the tongue for sweet,sides for hot,middle for other tastes. Taste buds recognise them. The taste buds are the beginnings of Glossopharangeal nerve the 9th cranial nerve on either side. The nerve caries impulses to the center for interpretation. Taste is recognised only if smell is perceived .An odorless substance becomes tasteless
So minimal time is taken. If nose is partially blocked it takes longer time..