Blind Taste Test: Tips & Creative Ideas to Try

Have you ever done a blind taste test, to see whether you could tell what you’re eating without seeing it? For instance, you could have your friend try animal meat versus a plant-based meat alternative, or serve them a homemade smoothie and have them guess what ingredients are in it. 

Whether you’re the host or the taster, conducting a blind taste test is a fun, interactive way to evaluate food or drinks without knowing what you’re tasting. It challenges your senses to focus solely on flavors, textures, and aromas without the advantage of sight. 

This playful activity works wonders for family gatherings, friendly competitions, or even exploring new flavors. It could also be an ultimate game of trust. Perfect for parties or casual get-togethers, it’s not just entertaining—it’s a unique way to sharpen your palate and spark curiosity about what you eat and drink.

How to Set Up a Blind Taste Test

If you’re interested in hosting a taste game but aren’t sure where to start, don’t worry—it’s pretty straightforward. Here are some ideas to help it go smoothly. 

A step-by-step guide to setting up a blind taste test: 

1. Prepare the Food

Include sweet, savory, and salty options, or focus on a specific category, like fruits, snacks, or drinks. Cover the foods or place them in unmarked containers. You can use small cups, bowls, or plates to serve individual portions. Make sure everything is prepped and ready to go before people arrive to maintain the element of surprise.

2. Create a Testing Space

Designate an area where participants can’t see the foods being tested. This could be a separate room, a partitioned section, or simply a space where they face away from the food setup. Aim for a quiet, distraction-free environment to help participants focus on their senses.

3. Have a System for Guessing

Decide on how participants will record their guesses. Provide scorecards or sheets where they can write their answers, or encourage them to share their guesses aloud. If writing is involved, include columns for each food item, space for guesses, and an optional scoring area. Alternatively, create a group guessing dynamic where participants discuss and decide together or compete on teams. 

4. Have a Judge or Host

Appoint someone to oversee the test and reveal the answers at the end. This person will also ensure the food remains a surprise, serve items in the correct order, and manage questions. A good host can enhance the experience by offering hints, moderating discussions, or sharing fun facts about the items being tested once the answers are revealed. 

11 Creative Blind Taste Test Ideas

One of the things that makes blind taste testing so fun is that it can involve any food or drink you want, whether you’re going for a this-versus-that comparison test or seeing if someone can guess the ingredients of your recipe. We’ve come up with some creative blind taste test ideas you can easily implement. 

1. Snack Flavor Blind Taste Test

Test your snack-loving skills by sampling a mix of flavored chips, popcorn, or pretzels. From sour cream and onion to spicy barbecue, this challenge will reveal how well you recognize your favorite munchies. It’s perfect for snack enthusiasts and can spark debates about the best—and worst—flavors. This is a great opportunity to offer a variety of Chomps flavors, from Smoky BBQ Beef to Taco Seasoned Beef. 

2. International Flavors Taste Test

Bring a global flair to your taste test by featuring foods from different countries, such as Japanese mochi, Italian biscotti, or Mexican tamales. This experience is not only fun but also educational, offering participants a flavorful way to explore cuisines they may not have tried before. See if they can guess the origin. 

3. Sweets Blind Taste Test

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a lineup of chocolates, candies, and baked goods. Can you distinguish between milk, white, or dark chocolate? Or guess the flavors of jellybeans? This test is a hit for dessert lovers and adds a sugary twist to any gathering.

4. DIY Taste Test Challenge

With this approach, you can have participants create their own mystery foods or drinks for others to try. It’s an engaging, hands-on approach that lets everyone contribute. The challenge adds an element of surprise, as people try to outdo each other with creative—and sometimes wild—flavor combinations (like Chomps beef sticks dipped in ranch dressing or potato chips with hummus). 

5. Water Brand Taste Test

It’s surprising how many types, flavors, and brands of water there are. Test participants’ ability to identify different bottled water brands or even tap versus filtered. This one sparks great conversations about the subtle taste variations. Bonus points if you include sparkling and flavored options.

6. Condiment Taste Test

Line up a variety of condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and hot sauces from different brands. See if participants can identify the brand or even guess the unique twist, like a spicy or tangy flavor. This taste test challenge is perfect for burger or sandwich enthusiasts, this is also a great opportunity to try condiments with savory dippers, like Chomps Original Turkey sticks.

7. Breakfast Cereal Challenge

We all have favorite breakfast cereals that we remember from childhood or still enjoy as adults. Pour samples of popular breakfast cereals without the milk and challenge participants to name the brand and flavor. From fruity morsels to frosted flakes and whole-grain O’s, this test is nostalgic and works for any age group. 

8. Coffee or Tea Taste Test

For caffeine lovers, test the differences between brands, roasts, or tea varieties. From light roast to dark roast or green tea to chamomile, this is a fun and sophisticated way to discover new favorites and see if participants can spot their go-to beverage. To mix it up even more, add some coffee alternatives, like adaptogenic mushroom blends or matcha.

9. Vegetable Taste Test

Prepare various raw or cooked vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, or bell peppers. Blindfold participants and see if they can identify the veggies by taste or texture alone. This test is fun, healthy, and a great way to encourage adventurous eating. Plus, it helps you clean out your fridge. 

10. Cheese Tasting

People are rarely disappointed when they have various cheese flavors in front of them—from sharp cheddar to creamy brie or plant-based alternatives. Pair it with crackers or Chomplings for a gourmet touch.

11. Spicy-o-Meter Taste Test

Challenge your participants to try foods of increasing spiciness and see who taps out first. This taste test can be even more fun because, without the visual aspect, taste buds become even more sensitive. Here’s one way you could do it with Chomps sticks: Original Beef, Smoky BBQ Beef, Jalapeno Beef, and Habanero Beef. 

Why a Blind Taste Test Is a Fun Activity for Any Occasion

Foods and drinks always make for great conversation pieces that bring people together. Incorporating blind taste tests can be a fun way to increase social interaction and laughter, regardless of the occasion. Try it out for your next party, or family gathering, or even as a personal challenge to see how astute your other senses are.