Why does cooking oil make things taste better when it doesn’t taste good by itself?

Question

I get why sugar makes things taste better since it tastes good by itself but why does something like cooking oil which doesn’t taste good on its own make food taste better than it otherwise would be?

In: 734

Answer 1

Aside from what oil does to food when cooking it, which other people have explained, oil makes food taste better because of its texture rather than its flavor. Fatty foods have more of a “smooth” texture which our brains find pleasant.