What is taste?
There are five types of taste: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami, which are the basic tastes. In addition, a sixth taste, fatty taste, which is the taste of fats and oils, has recently been discovered.
What is taste?
Taste, as perceived by the tongue, is a sensor that tells us whether a substance is necessary for human life and whether we need to consume it actively. Taste is perceived by the ‘taste buds’, described next, and is judged by the brain. It is, therefore, also affected by aroma, texture, atmosphere and emotion.
Taste receptors in different parts of the body
A cluster of taste cells perceives taste called ‘taste buds’ on the tongue, which are located in large numbers, and taste is perceived by ‘taste receptors on the tips of the taste cells. Each basic taste is perceived by a different taste cell.
Although taste buds are mainly found on the tongue, taste receptors have also been found in other areas outside the digestive system, such as the lungs and brain. They are said to play a role in protecting against the entry of pathogens.
Role of basic tastes
Among the basic tastes, sweet, salty and umami indicate sources of nutrition, while bitter and sour are tastes that show dangerous substances.
Sweet taste: a sensation that indicates the presence of energy sources necessary for the human body
Salty: a sense that tells us that minerals necessary for maintaining homeostasis in the human body are present
Umami: signals the presence of proteins necessary for the composition of the human body.
Bitter: danger signal indicating the presence of poisonous substances
Acidity: a taste that means something inherently rotten or immature
Fatty taste, like umami, is influenced by a combination of other flavours and may enhance the flavour and palatability of food.
Update your taste buds!
Upper and downer tastes
There are two taste sensations, known as the five basic tastes: ‘upper’ and ‘downer’.
Sweet and salty tastes, which are in the upper system, are functions that worked for survival when it was challenging to secure enough food. Therefore, when ingested, they activate a neural circuit called the reward system, which brings about a sense of craving and happiness similar to tastes and drugs.
The perception of fatty tastes varies from person to person, and people who have been eating a high-fat diet for a long time become desensitised to fat flavours and tend to overeat.
On the other hand, the downer tastes – umami, bitter and sour – are long-lasting and change with learning.
Umami has been shown to increase food satisfaction and suppress appetite.
The bitter taste is a toxicity sensor and therefore responds even in small amounts. Still, since ancient times, bitter tastes have been used as a digestive agent to increase saliva production, as exemplified by herbs.
Beer, coffee and bitter gourd, for example, are equivalent. Bitterness is also a critical factor in getting foodies hooked.
Sourness is also thought to become more favoured as one gains more food experience, as it indicates organic acids are involved in energy metabolism.
In today’s world, when many industrialised countries are experiencing food saturation, it may be helpful to taste umami, bitter and sour flavours while avoiding salty, sweet and fatty tastes to foster physical and mental health.
Taste and happiness
Of course, eating with someone else may also be necessary for the sense of taste and the brain.
There is a hormone called ‘oxytocin’, associated with parent-child bonding and skinship and known to be related to intimacy, trust and love in relationships.
Dr Roman Wittig’s research with chimpanzees in Germany showed that more oxytocin was measured when sharing food with a mate than when grooming, indicating that food sharing may play an essential role in social bonding.
Although food is primarily a fuel for sustaining life, it also has a significant relationship with happiness.
One reason for this is that it brings about human connection and communication.
The best nourishment would be to sit around the table with loved ones.
Aalivation effect activates the brain Anchovies Appetite suppression effect Buddhist cuisine Cheese colorectal cancer dietary fibre Dried kombu Dried mushrooms Dried shiitake Dry masurooms Dulse EPA improves immunity interview Iodine Keisuke Matsushima kelp minerals Nice Nori Oliveoil producer Recipes salt reduction SDGs Seavegetables Sea vegetables Seaweed Shiitake Tastes vegitarian Vitamins Wakame well-being Yoga zen