[Avodah] Starbucks coffee and nosein ta'am

[Akiva Miller via Avodah]

.
R' Zev Sero wrote:

> Halacha seems to take the position that taam has no physical
> substance at all, ...

I'm curious about your use of the word "seems". Is there any evidence
that halacha might take the position that taam DOES have physical
substance?

I have always understood that taam does NOT have substance, and I got
that from the halacha of kashering a keli with hagalah. Hagalah is
effective only in removing taam, and the keli must be totally clean
beforehand. Now, if taam has substance, and I have cleaned all the
substance from the keli, then what remains to kasher? Rather, it must
be that taam is something that does *not* have substance, and *cannot*
be removed by cleaning.

Gmar chasima tova to all,
Akiva Miller