This thesis investigates how individuals perceive and describe the texture of solid foods. To date, minimal research has been done to investigate individual texture perception and the influence of oral physiological parameters. The current study is a three phase project. First, using Temporal Dominance of Sensation (TDS), the dynamic process of panellists’ texture perception was investigated. The results showed two very distinct groups of panellists who differed based on their texture perception response. The second phase attempted to understand these groups by testing oral physiological parameters surrounding the individuals and their bolus. Few significant results were found between the two groups indicating. The final phase of this project supported the hypothesis that vocabulary use was not a factor in the division of the two groups. To conclude, saliva, both in regard to the amount and composition, seems to have a large influence on how individuals perceive the texture of solid food. / New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) under contract C02X0807 (Food Structure Platform).