Many studies have shown the consequent gustatory alteration caused by ear surgeries. However, few have reported this alteration in patients with chronic otitis media (COM), prior to surgical treatment. OBJECTIVE to identify gustatory alterations due to chorda tympani nerve involvement in patients with COM without prior surgery. METHODS Clinical essay, with tests based on 'taste strips' with different concentrations of salt, sweet, bitter, and sour, was performed in 45 patients with unilateral cholesteatomatous or suppurated COM not previously submitted to otological surgery, using the disease-free ear on the contralateral side as control. The score ranged between 0 and 16. RESULTS A total of 25 patients presented cholesteatoma and 20 had non-cholesteatomatous disease. The mean score was 6.65 for the affected side and 9.93 for the half of the tongue on the side of the healthy ear (p<0.001). No patients had complained of gustatory alterations before the examination. Among the 24 patients with unilateral hypogeusia, eight cases of unilateral ageusia were found on the affected side. There was an association between cholesteatoma (p=0.055), disease duration (p=0.07) and worsening in gustatory sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS Patients with COM can have gustatory alterations, even in the absence of complaints.