The five basic tastes

Cinzia Cuneo 25 febbraio, 2012 mangiare sano, erbe aromatiche, spezie

We do not all have the same likes and … dislikes. But all of us do have about 4000 taste sensory receptors, 75% of which are located on the dorsal surface of the tongue, the remainder being distributed along the palate, pharynx and upper esophagus.

Each type of receptor can be stimulated by a variety of chemical substances but is particularly sensitive to a specific category. In fact, in the 19th century, the German physiologist Adolf Fick identified four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour and bitter.

Poached Figs with Cream
(Sweet)

Saltimbocca alla romana
(Salty)

Rhubarb Compote
(Sour)

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe
(Bitter)

A fifth, ‘umami’ (which means “savory” in Japanese) was added to the others in the 1980s. This is the distinctive flavor that can be found, for example, in meat broths, cheese, mushrooms, and is linked to the presence of glutamic acid.

Vegan Sweet Potato Gratin (Umami)

This classification into five basic tastes is a bit simplistic, because other flavors such as astringent (tea) and pungent (chili) are not included in it.

Green Tea
(Astringent)

Spicy Red Lentil Soup
(Pungent)

The information sent to the brain is compiled and stored with our feelings of pleasure or displeasure. Taste improves with habit and experience, so it has to be enticed.

Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on February 25, 2012.

Autori

Cinzia Cuneo

Italiana di nascita e canadese d'adozione, Cinzia ha deciso di coniugare le sue competenze professionali e la sua passione per la buona tavola sviluppando un servizio per aiutare i numerosi «aventi bisogno» a riprendere il controllo della loro alimentazione. Così è nata SOSCuisine. Ingegnere di formazione al Politecnico di Torino, Cinzia ha conseguito un Master's Degree in scienze applicate all'École Polytechnique de Montréal.