Use of one, two or more different hydroxybenzoic acid amides of formula wherein R 1 and R 2 denote independently of each other hydrogen, hydroxyl or methoxy, with the provision that at least one of the groups R 1 or R 2 denote hydroxyl, and either R 3 denotes hydrogen or hydroxyl and R 4 denotes hydrogen or R 3 and R 4 together denote a group -O-C(=O)- and thus form a ring in form of a cyclic carbamate, and R 5 denotes hydrogen or methyl, or of one, two or more different salts of one, two or more different hydroxybenzoic acid amides of formula as defined above or of a mixture of one, two or more different hydroxybenzoic acid amides of formula, as defined above, with one, two or more different salts of one, two or more different hydroxybenzoic acid amides of formula as defined above for masking an unpleasant taste impression, preferably a bitter, astringent, cloggy, dusty, dry, floury, rancid and/or metallic taste or aftertaste, of one or more unpleasant tasting substances, wherein the or, respectively, one, more or all of the unpleasant tastes is/are selected from the group consisting of amino acid mixtures comprising or consisting of, each related to the weight, 40 to 50 parts L-leucine, 20 to 30 parts L-isoleucine and 20 to 40 parts L-valine or 10 to 30 parts L-isoleucine, 25 to 45 parts L-leucine, 5 to 15 parts L-phenylalanine and 5 to15 parts L-tryptophan, and peptides with the sequences GKHQQEEENEGG, NFNNQLDQTPR, AGNPDIEHPE, NALEPDHRVE, GNPDIEHP, IYPGCPST, KLHENIAR, LAGNQEQE, ALEPDHR, EQGGEQG, EQPQQNE, IGTLAGA, NAMFVPH, GMIYPG, HNIGQT, IYPGCP, NALKPD, FIQGV, NALPE, NNEDT, SAEFG, SIIDT, YEGNS, LLLL, NLQG, SDNF, EGG, GAL, GGL, KPF, LLL, PPG, AD, EG, EY, GE, GF, GI, IA, IP, IS, KP, LK, PR, PY, RG, RP, RR, VF, VI, VV, VY, VEELKPTPEGDLEIL, LKP, LVL, DL, ID, LD, LE, LV, WE, QLFGPNVNPWHNP, QLFNPSTNPWHSP, GGRGPPFIVGG, QLFNPSTNPWH, GGRGPPFIV, QLFNPSTNP, RGPPFIVGG, RGPPGGGFF, GGRPFFGG, QLFNPS, GFG, GLL, GVV, LQL, RPG, EF, FG, FV, GL, GR, GV, IE, II, IL, IQ, LF, LI, RF, VA, WF, YF, YG, AQTQSLVYPFPGPIPNSLPQNIPPLTQ, YQQPVLGPVRGPFPIIV, PVLGPVRGPFPIIV, SLVYPFPGPIHNS, VPLGTQYTDAPSF, FFVAPFPEVFGK, FFVAPFPQVFGK, LVYPFPGPIHN, PVRGPFPIIV, VYPFPGPIPN, VYPFPPIGNH, YLGYLEQLLR, YPFPGPIHNS, YPFPGPIPNS, PFPGPIPNS, YPFPGPHIN, YPFPGPIPN, FALPQYLK, GPVRGPFP, LGYLEQLL, RGPFPIIV, RGPGPIIV, APFPEVF, AYFYPEL, FYPELFR, PFPGPIP, RGPFPIV, YPFPGPI, PVLGPV, VRGPFP, FYPELF, GPFPIV, PFPGPI, PFPIIV, DIKQM, EIVPN, NENLL, PGPIP, EVLN, LPQE, VYPF, APK, EEN, FLL, FPK, FPP, LRF, LRL, PFP, PGP, PPF, RGP, VVV, VYP, YPF, AF, AL, AV, DA, EI, EL, FF, FI, FL, FP, FY, GP, GY, IF, IG, IK, IN, IT, IV, KF, LG, LW, LY, MI, PF, PI, PK, PL, PP, RL, SL, VD, VE, VL, YP, YY, GPFPVI, FALPEYLK, VG, RGPPFIV, GRP, FFF, WW, WWW, YPFP, FPF, IPAVF, LLF or YGLF. R 1 and R 2 denote independently of each other hydrogen, hydroxyl or methoxy, with the provision that at least one of the groups R 1 or R 2 denote hydroxyl, and either R 3 denotes hydrogen or hydroxyl and R 4 denotes hydrogen R 3 denotes hydrogen or hydroxyl and R 4 denotes hydrogen or R 3 and R 4 together denote a group -O-C(=O)- and thus form a ring in form of a cyclic carbamate, and R 5 denotes hydrogen or methyl, R 3 and R 4 together denote a group -O-C(=O)- and thus form a ring in form of a cyclic carbamate, and R 5 denotes hydrogen or methyl, or of one, two or more different salts of one, two or more different hydroxybenzoic acid amides of formula as defined above or of a mixture of one, two or more different hydroxybenzoic acid amides of formula, as defined above, with one, two or more different salts of one, two or more different hydroxybenzoic acid amides of formula as defined above for masking an unpleasant taste impression, preferably a bitter, astringent, cloggy, dusty, dry, floury, rancid and/or metallic taste or aftertaste, of one or more unpleasant tasting substances, wherein the or, respectively, one, more or all of the unpleasant tastes is/are selected from the group consisting of amino acid mixtures comprising or consisting of, each related to the weight, 40 to 50 parts L-leucine, 20 to 30 parts L-isoleucine and 20 to 40 parts L-valine or 10 to 30 parts L-isoleucine, 25 to 45 parts L-leucine, 5 to 15 parts L-phenylalanine and 5 to15 parts L-tryptophan, and peptides with the sequences GKHQQEEENEGG, NFNNQLDQTPR, AGNPDIEHPE, NALEPDHRVE, GNPDIEHP, IYPGCPST, KLHENIAR, LAGNQEQE, ALEPDHR, EQGGEQG, EQPQQNE, IGTLAGA, NAMFVPH, GMIYPG, HNIGQT, IYPGCP, NALKPD, FIQGV, NALPE, NNEDT, SAEFG, SIIDT, YEGNS, LLLL, NLQG, SDNF, EGG, GAL, GGL, KPF, LLL, PPG, AD, EG, EY, GE, GF, GI, IA, IP, IS, KP, LK, PR, PY, RG, RP, RR, VF, VI, VV, VY, VEELKPTPEGDLEIL, LKP, LVL, DL, ID, LD, LE, LV, WE, QLFGPNVNPWHNP, QLFNPSTNPWHSP, GGRGPPFIVGG, QLFNPSTNPWH, GGRGPPFIV, QLFNPSTNP, RGPPFIVGG, RGPPGGGFF, GGRPFFGG, QLFNPS, GFG, GLL, GVV, LQL, RPG, EF, FG, FV, GL, GR, GV, IE, II, IL, IQ, LF, LI, RF, VA, WF, YF, YG, AQTQSLVYPFPGPIPNSLPQNIPPLTQ, YQQPVLGPVRGPFPIIV, PVLGPVRGPFPIIV, SLVYPFPGPIHNS, VPLGTQYTDAPSF, FFVAPFPEVFGK, FFVAPFPQVFGK, LVYPFPGPIHN, PVRGPFPIIV, VYPFPGPIPN, VYPFPPIGNH, YLGYLEQLLR, YPFPGPIHNS, YPFPGPIPNS, PFPGPIPNS, YPFPGPHIN, YPFPGPIPN, FALPQYLK, GPVRGPFP, LGYLEQLL, RGPFPIIV, RGPGPIIV, APFPEVF, AYFYPEL, FYPELFR, PFPGPIP, RGPFPIV, YPFPGPI, PVLGPV, VRGPFP, FYPELF, GPFPIV, PFPGPI, PFPIIV, DIKQM, EIVPN, NENLL, PGPIP, EVLN, LPQE, VYPF, APK, EEN, FLL, FPK, FPP, LRF, LRL, PFP, PGP, PPF, RGP, VVV, VYP, YPF, AF, AL, AV, DA, EI, EL, FF, FI, FL, FP, FY, GP, GY, IF, IG, IK, IN, IT, IV, KF, LG, LW, LY, MI, PF, PI, PK, PL, PP, RL, SL, VD, VE, VL, YP, YY, GPFPVI, FALPEYLK, VG, RGPPFIV, GRP, FFF, WW, WWW, YPFP, FPF, IPAVF, LLF or YGLF.