The Art and Science Behind Tasting

Did you know our taste buds regenerate once every 10 to 14 days? Our taste buds are vital not only in making eating a more delightful experience for our body to take in all its much-needed nutrients but also in helping protect our body by detecting substances that are not safe to consume – such as detecting the sour tastes of rotten foods or the bitterness of poison.

Taste receptors are sensory cells that detect different taste stimuli and signal them to the brain so we can recognize these 5 basic tastes—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. Contrary to popular belief, taste receptors that can detect all 5 tastes are spread throughout our tongue and portions of the oral cavity including the throat, nasal cavity, and the upper region of the oesophagus. This debunks the theory that different sections of the tongue are exclusively responsible for detecting one basic taste (Spence, 2022).

Illustration of the tongue. From “Taste Buds” by Professional, C. C. M. (2024, May 1). (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24684-taste-buds) Copyright 2024 by Cleveland Clinic

We go through a series of processes to experience the different flavors and combinations of tastes—the tongue is not solely responsible for us experiencing the different flavors.

Diagram of salivary glands involved in tasting. From “Anatomy of organs of the digestive system and their functions.” by Lumen Learning & OpenStax. (n.d.). (https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-dutchess-ap1/chapter/anatomy-of-organs-of-the-digestive-system-and-their-functions/) Copyright by Lumen Learning & OpenStax

Firstly, the saliva in your mouth aids the breaking down of food as you chew, releasing chemicals that get detected by your taste buds. The chemical signals are also received by the receptors in your nose, which altogether allows you to experience the different flavor sensations in your mouth and nose.

SWEET - The sweet taste receptors are activated by glucose, fructose, and sucrose (Lee & Owyang, 2017), or as we know it in simple terms—sugar! Other chemicals such as sweet amino acids and proteins also activate the sweet-tasting sensation and stimulate the production of dopamine which is a complex hormone that gives you a sense of pleasure or satisfaction (Azevedo, 2022) —Do you feel motivated and satisfied from eating sweets?

SALTY - Salty foods contain sodium chloride or other mineral salts. The table salt widely consumed is also known as sodium chloride where the sodium ions dissolve into our saliva upon consumption. The interaction between these sodium ions and our taste receptors sends signals to our brain which then interprets the salty taste. The interesting thing about salt that makes it an essential ingredient in any recipe is that it can enhance and balance sweetness in foods to mask bitterness.

SOUR - We often squint and make silly expressions when eating sour foods. This is due to the sour stimulus triggered by different acids, such as acetic and citric acids, which cause a reflex contraction of the muscles in our face. Naturally acidic foods include citrus fruits, tomatoes, and pineapple.

BITTER - The bitter taste comes from compounds found in plants such as polyphenols, flavonoids, catechins, and caffeine, as studied by Drewnowski (2009). Coffee, which contains caffeine, is distinctive by its bitter taste, which not everyone enjoys. Bitterness is such a complex taste that it cannot simply be classified as good or bad. Being able to taste bitterness is also crucial for survival. The body can recognize bitterness from compounds such as alkaloids and phenols which are often associated with toxicity, signaling they can potentially harm the body.

UMAMI - The taste of umami can also be described as savory, meaty, or brothy. Foods like miso and aged cheese are often characterized by their umami taste due to their high glutamate content which is an amino acid shown to be responsible for the taste of umami in most foods. The umami taste in foods increases appetite which in turn improves nutrition intake as it makes food taste better in general, limiting the consumption of sodium chloride and fats—and minimizing the risks of duodenal cancer!

So during your next meal, think about the different tastes you can recognize. From the energy you get from sweets to the bitterness that activates your survival instincts and the tingling you feel when tasting sour foods—know that taste is complex. Imagine how bland life would be without our taste buds!

References:

Azevedo, J., & Azevedo, J. (n.d.). How to eat sweets, feel good about it, and not punish yourself.

https://www.thepaseoclub.com/blog/how-eat-sweets-feel-good-not-punish-yourself#:~:text=Chemically%20speaking%2C%20when%20we%20eat,%E2%80%9Cfeel%2Dgood%20hormone.%E2%80%9D

Drewnowski, A. (2009). The science and complexity of bitter taste. Nutrition Reviews, 59(6), 163–169.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2001.tb07007.x

Lee, A., & Owyang, C. (2017). Sugars, sweet taste receptors, and brain responses. Nutrients, 9(7), 653.

https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9070653

Professional, C. C. M. (2024, May 1). Taste buds. Cleveland Clinic.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24684-taste-buds

Spence, C. (2022). The tongue map and the spatial modulation of taste perception. Current Research in Food

Science, 5, 598–610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crfs.2022.02.004