Answer 1:
Our perception of food includes the feel of
the food, like its consistency, if it is fatty
or hot (both in terms of temperature and
spiciness), its smell, and its taste.
Taste has been categorized into four basic
types: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.
Different types of taste receptors (taste buds)
recognize the four different types of taste, and
these receptors are grouped on different areas of
the tongue.
The tip of your tongue is best able to taste
sweetness and saltiness. The sides of your tongue
can best taste sourness. The back of your tongue,
and a bit on the front/side, can best taste
bitterness.
Lately scientists are talking of a fifth type
of taste called umami (the taste associated
with mono-sodium glutamate, or MSG). Scientists,
however, still have a very difficult time to
identify the taste receptors on the tongue. They
believe that there are cell-surface proteins on
the tongue that detect these tastes.
A very good article about these taste receptors
can be found at:
this link
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