Why are taste and smell linked?
The short answer
Food chemicals stimulate taste receptors on the tongue and smell receptors in the nose, and the brain combines the signals into flavor.
How it works
Pinching the nose still leaves basic tastes, but makes the aroma of fruit or food harder to identify. Aromas can travel from the mouth up into the nose.
A familiar example
Temperature and texture also affect how food is experienced, not only taste and smell.