A professional cook must understand ingredients and how they affect the flavor of a dish. Each ingredient has a flavor profile. The flavor profile is a combination of these elements:

Top note or high notes: the sharp first flavor
Middle notes: the second wave of flavor
Low notes: the most dominant lingering flavor
Aftertaste finish: the final flavor that remains after the food is swallowed
Roundness: the combination or unity of various flavors
Depth of flavor: the broadness of the range of flavors of the dish
Discuss your most recent meal. How did you feel when you ate the first bite? What were the different elements mentioned above? Was there a great depth of flavor? Did the meal have an aftertaste or finish?