Standard / sense

OGS Sensory Model Specification

Open Gastronomy Standard — Sensory v0.1

1. Overview

This specification defines the sensory vocabulary, scales, and structures used throughout OGS to describe how ingredients, dishes, and beverages taste, smell, and feel. The sensory model is the foundation upon which composition and pairing logic is built.

2. Intensity Scale

All sensory intensity values in OGS use a 0–10 continuous scale with the following normative anchors:

Value Anchor Description
0 Not present / not detectable
2.5 Low — subtle, requires attention to detect
5.0 Medium — clearly present, balanced
7.5 High — prominent, a defining characteristic
10.0 Extreme — overwhelming, dominant above all else

Values MAY use one decimal place for precision (e.g., 6.5). Values MUST be between 0 and 10 inclusive.

3. Basic Tastes

Every sensory profile SHOULD include the five basic tastes:

Taste Field Name Description
Sweet sweet Perceived sweetness (sugars, glycerol, residual sugar)
Sour sour Perceived acidity (tartaric, citric, malic, lactic acids)
Salty salty Perceived saltiness (sodium, mineral salts)
Bitter bitter Perceived bitterness (tannins, alkaloids, hops)
Umami umami Perceived savory depth (glutamates, nucleotides)

Each taste is measured on the 0–10 intensity scale.

3.1 Basic Tastes JSON Structure

"basic_tastes": {
  "sweet": 2.0,
  "sour": 6.5,
  "salty": 3.0,
  "bitter": 4.0,
  "umami": 7.0
}

4. Structural Attributes

Structural attributes describe the physical and textural sensation of a food or beverage beyond basic taste:

Attribute Field Name Description
Body body Weight and fullness on the palate (light to full)
Acidity Perception acidity_perception Structural impact of acidity (freshness, sharpness)
Tannin tannin Astringent, drying phenolic compounds (primarily in wine/tea)
Astringency astringency General drying/puckering sensation
Alcohol Heat alcohol_heat Warming sensation from ethanol
Effervescence effervescence Carbonation / sparkling sensation

Each attribute is measured on the 0–10 intensity scale.

4.1 Structural Attributes JSON Structure

"structural": {
  "body": 7.5,
  "acidity_perception": 6.0,
  "tannin": 8.0,
  "astringency": 7.0,
  "alcohol_heat": 5.5,
  "effervescence": 0
}

5. Aromatic Taxonomy

OGS uses a three-level aromatic hierarchy to classify aromas systematically:

family → group → item

Each aroma entry MAY include an optional qualifier that modifies the perceived character.

5.1 Aromatic Families

Family Description Example Groups
fruit All fruit-derived aromas citrus, stone_fruit, tropical, berry, dried_fruit
floral Flower and blossom aromas white_flower, dried_flower, perfumed
herbal Fresh and dried herb aromas fresh_herb, dried_herb, medicinal
spice Spice and aromatic seed aromas warm_spice, pungent_spice, sweet_spice
earth Soil, mineral, and organic aromas soil, mineral, fungal
wood Wood-derived aromas (oak, smoke) oak, smoke, resinous
dairy Butter, cream, cheese aromas butter, cream, cheese
savory Meaty, brothy, fermented aromas meat, broth, fermented
confection Sweet, baked, caramelized aromas caramel, chocolate, vanilla, baked
vegetal Green, vegetable aromas green, cruciferous, allium
marine Sea, iodine, shellfish aromas brine, iodine, shellfish

5.2 Qualifiers

Qualifiers modify how an aromatic item is expressed:

Qualifier Description
fresh Bright, raw, uncooked expression
dried Concentrated, dehydrated expression
cooked Transformed by heat
candied Sweet, preserved expression
fermented Transformed by microbial activity
zest Skin/rind expression (especially citrus)
overripe Past peak ripeness, concentrated

5.3 Aromatics JSON Structure

"aromatics": [
  {
    "family": "fruit",
    "group": "citrus",
    "item": "lemon_zest",
    "qualifier": "fresh",
    "intensity": 6.0
  },
  {
    "family": "earth",
    "group": "mineral",
    "item": "wet_stone",
    "intensity": 4.5
  },
  {
    "family": "fruit",
    "group": "stone_fruit",
    "item": "peach",
    "qualifier": "dried",
    "intensity": 3.0
  }
]

6. Texture Vocabulary

Texture descriptors are organized by dimension. Producers SHOULD use these controlled terms:

6.1 Mechanical Texture

Relates to the force required to break down a food:

Term Description
hard High resistance to deformation
firm Moderate resistance
soft Low resistance
tender Yields easily, pleasant softness
chewy Requires prolonged mastication
brittle Fractures sharply
crunchy Fractures with sound and force
crispy Light fracture, thin structure

6.2 Geometrical Texture

Relates to particle shape and size perception:

Term Description
smooth No perceptible particles
grainy Fine particles detectable
gritty Coarse particles detectable
flaky Flat, layered particles
fibrous Elongated, stringy particles
powdery Very fine, dry particles

6.3 Moisture-Related Texture

Term Description
dry Low moisture, absorbs saliva
moist Moderate moisture content
wet High surface moisture
juicy Releases liquid when bitten
succulent Rich, abundant juice release
syrupy Thick, viscous liquid

6.4 Fat-Related Texture

Term Description
lean Low perceived fat content
oily Thin fat coating sensation
greasy Heavy fat coating, may be unpleasant
buttery Smooth, rich fat sensation
creamy Emulsified, smooth fat with body
waxy Solid fat coating sensation

6.5 Texture JSON Structure

"texture": ["tender", "juicy", "buttery"]

7. Confidence Model

Each sensory value MAY carry provenance information:

"basic_tastes": {
  "sweet": {
    "value": 2.0,
    "confidence": 0.9,
    "method": "expert_panel"
  },
  "umami": {
    "value": 7.0,
    "confidence": 0.7,
    "method": "estimated"
  }
}

7.1 Simplified vs. Detailed Format

OGS supports two formats for sensory values:

Simplified (L1/L2 conformance):

"sweet": 2.0

Detailed (L3 conformance):

"sweet": {
  "value": 2.0,
  "confidence": 0.9,
  "method": "expert_panel",
  "source": "WSET Diploma tasting panel, 2024"
}

7.2 Method Values

Method Description
expert_panel Assessed by trained tasting professionals
instrumental Measured by analytical instruments (GC-MS, HPLC, etc.)
computed Derived algorithmically from component data
estimated Approximate value, limited evidence
user_submitted Provided by end-user without formal assessment

8. Sensory Profile Envelope

A complete sensory profile combines all elements:

"sensory_profile": {
  "basic_tastes": {
    "sweet": 2.0,
    "sour": 6.5,
    "salty": 1.0,
    "bitter": 3.5,
    "umami": 1.5
  },
  "structural": {
    "body": 4.0,
    "acidity_perception": 7.0,
    "tannin": 0,
    "astringency": 1.0,
    "alcohol_heat": 4.0,
    "effervescence": 0
  },
  "aromatics": [
    {
      "family": "fruit",
      "group": "citrus",
      "item": "lemon",
      "qualifier": "fresh",
      "intensity": 7.0
    }
  ],
  "texture": ["crispy", "lean"],
  "finish_length": 5.0,
  "complexity": 6.0
}

8.1 Additional Profile Fields

Field Type Scale Description
finish_length number 0–10 How long flavors persist after swallowing
complexity number 0–10 Number and integration of distinct flavor elements

9. References