How many flavors are there. What are taste buds, what types of taste does the body feel

The question of tastes (races) requires special consideration, because they contain primary information about food. According to Ayurveda, each of the six tastes directly communicates with the body and carries a special signal. The tongue recognizes them by instinct. Taste causes a chain of reactions that stretches from the mouth to all the cells of the body. Food should contain all tastes - "exciting" the body (bitter and astringent) and "soothing" it (mainly sweet). To activate digestion, sometimes "hot" tastes are needed - sharp, sour and salty, and to slow down digestion - "cold" tastes - bitter, astringent and sweet.

Each product and food in general has its own flavor spectrum. Sugar, vinegar, and salt have a single flavor, but the vast majority of foods have two or more: lemon is sour, sweet, and bitter; cheese is sweet and sour; and carrots are sweet, bitter, and astringent. Milk is considered a "complete" food, as it contains all six tastes, albeit with a predominance of sweet. Therefore, it is recommended to drink milk separately from other products or combine it only with sweet food - fruit, flour, and sugar.

Using the taste spectrum, you can describe any food in terms of increasing or decreasing doshas. Since all three doshas are interconnected, the increase in one of them is of fundamental importance. Therefore, Ayurveda describes each type of food based on its effect on a particular dosha. For example, cabbage increases Vata, carrots increase Pitta, all types of oils increase Kapha.

Below is a description of the six tastes (races).

sweet taste

All major foods are associated with sweet taste in one way or another. This taste is the most active in terms of healing capabilities. It strengthens and increases the strength of the body.

Sweet taste increases Kapha and reduces Vata and Pitta. Examples of sweet foods: sugar, honey, rice, milk, cream, butter, wheat bread. Fruits are mostly sweet and astringent, but citrus fruits also contain sour taste. Vegetables are mostly sweet, but green leafy vegetables also have a bitter taste. Dairy products are mostly sweet, but kefir and cheese have sour and pungent flavors. Meat is predominantly sweet and astringent, as are legumes. Seeds and nuts are sweet. In general, any nutritious and enjoyable food includes, as a rule, sweet component.

Sweet taste greatly increases Kapha, and any sweet food informs the body of the quality of this dosha. Kapha people are easier to satisfy than others, as the sweet taste is the most satiating. If a person is nervous or very upset (a sign of irritated Vata), sweets can calm him down. At the same time, Pitta is blunted. However, an excess of sweets destabilizes the body. Dullness of feelings, swagger, greed, emotional instability, drowsiness are also consequences of an overabundance of sweets.

When Kapha is out of balance, sugary foods are undesirable. The exception is honey, which helps balance Kapha. Kapha people are given a sense of satisfaction and well-being that Vata and Pitta types have to draw from sweets. The best way to balance Pitta is with sweet foods like melted butter.

salty taste

This taste increases Kapha and Pitta and decreases Vata. Is salty taste salt, which gives taste to food, supports appetite, causes the release of saliva and gastric juice. Salt, like Pitta, is hot, so the digestive process warms the body. The salty taste has cleansing properties, it “pulls” something out of the body that is stuck in it and hardened.

Excessive salt intake suppresses all other taste sensations, distorting each of them. Salt makes tissues heavier, as it binds water in them. Excess salt makes it difficult for Kapha to excrete fluids from the body, leading to fat accumulation and obesity, and

also inflammation of the skin. However, Ayurveda believes that salt is not the enemy and healthy man can eat it as much as he likes without harm to blood pressure. It is not the salt that raises the pressure, but the imbalance of the doshas, which occurs before the salt does any harm. At the same time, Ayurveda advocates moderate salt intake. If a person of Pitta or Kapha type is out of balance, then salty food is undesirable.

Sour taste

This taste, like salty, increases Kapha and Pitta and decreases Vata. Examples of acidic foods: lemons, tomatoes, plums, grapes, other acidic fruits, berries and vegetables, kefir, cheese, vinegar, etc.

The sour taste is refreshing, increases appetite, promotes digestion of food, inhibits fluid loss from the body, and adds heaviness to the body (makes it more Kapha). An excess of acidic foods disrupts the acid-base balance and adversely affects the body.

If Pitta and Kapha are out of balance, then sour food is undesirable. Fermented products that have a sour taste (cheese, vinegar, etc.) can be consumed occasionally and in small quantities.

bitter taste

This taste increases Vata and reduces Pitta and Kapha. Examples of bitter foods: leafy vegetables, bitter cucumbers, lettuce, chicory, lemon peel, some spices, tonic, etc.

According to Ayurveda, bitter taste improves digestion and appetite, warms the body and stimulates the release of fluid from it, dilates blood vessels and helps cleanse body cavities. This taste gives the body lightness, coldness and dryness. Its effect is more Vata than other flavors. The bitter taste balances cravings for sweet, sour, and spicy. Bitterness before eating effective remedy for people with weak digestion; bitterness in the mouth causes a desire for more satisfying tastes.

If the body is inflamed, hot, or itchy as a result of Pitta aggravation, then a bitter taste can correct the situation. In excess, the bitter taste aggravates Vata, which in people of this type causes health problems (headaches, weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, etc.). The reason that unbalances Vata lies in the bitter.

spicy taste

This taste increases Vata and Pitta and reduces Kapha. Examples of spicy food: Bell pepper, onion, garlic, radish, any spicy food.

In Ayurveda, it is believed that hot and spicy foods have their own taste - spicy. Pungency is recognized by the sensation of burning (increased Pitta) and thirst (increased Vata causes dryness). Spicy warms the body and stimulates the release of fluid from the body. As a result, the digestion process is enhanced, stagnant tissues are cleansed. With the appearance of an acute in the body, blood, saliva, mucus, sweat, and tears begin to move. Cleansing all cavities spicy food serves the best remedy to balance Kapha. But too spicy food does not bring excitation to the body, but irritation. With an imbalance of Vata and Pitta, spicy food is undesirable.

Astringent taste

This taste increases Vata and reduces Kapha and Pitta. Examples of astringent foods: apples, pears, different types cabbages, potatoes, carrots, beans, lentils, etc.

The astringent taste, which dries and tightens the mouth, is the least common of the six tastes. Like the bitter, astringent taste inherent in Vata. Astringent food soothes, cools, stops secretions (sweat, tears). For example, beans and capsicum go well together, compensating for the effects of each on bodily functions, in particular tearing. Astringent taste promotes contractions, so its excess can lead to Vata ailments - dry mouth, bloating due to increased formation of gases in the intestines, constipation. With an imbalance in the body of Vata, astringent food is undesirable.

In a balanced diet, every meal should contain all six tastes. D. Chopra (1992) gives an example of a well-balanced dinner:

lettuce salad (bitter, astringent);

whole fried chicken with steamed rice (salty, spicy, sour, sweet);

ice cream (sweet).

It is noted that even without ice cream, eating such food helps to maintain balance, since all six tastes are present in it. When replacing fried chicken two tastes are lost on baked food - spicy and sour, they can be restored by adding tomatoes (sweet and sour taste) and radish (spicy taste) to the salad. You should not give preference to the same tastes day after day. The main thing is to supply the body with all six tastes every day so that it can fully respond to food.

We note two points regarding "balanced nutrition." First, the reasons for referring various products to the corresponding gunas (natural qualities) and rasas (tastes) are not explained in Ayurveda. For example, why is wheat classified as a heavy guna and barley as a light one, why legumes and meats are predominantly sweet and astringent? There are no answers to these questions, and therefore it is assumed that the characteristics of the gunas and races are not subject to analysis and doubt. Secondly, according to Ayurveda, these characteristics should not be memorized at all, since their knowledge is embedded in the human body. One should not calculate the content of these signs in a particular food, but one must take them on faith. On the one hand, this complex work can be performed by an Ayurveda specialist, on the other hand, one's own instincts can inform a person about races and gunas. Ayurveda emphasizes that its knowledge of nutrition comes directly from nature, as opposed to the knowledge obtained by scientific medicine as a result of laboratory and other research.

At overuse salty taste causes thirst, lethargy, burning sensation, muscle wasting. It makes the blood thick and viscous, causing an increase blood pressure. The salty taste worsens the condition of the skin, causes wrinkles, promotes tooth loss, graying and hair loss. The salty taste increases the acidity of the stomach, promotes the development of gout and other diseases, mainly related to Pitta.

spicy taste

Pungent taste increases Pitta and Vata and reduces Kapha. Effect on the body: warming.

The pungent taste is matched by a spicy pungent smell. They have a spicy taste:

Spices (black pepper, cayenne, chili; mustard seeds, ginger, asafoetida, cloves, cumin, cardamom, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, anise, onion, rosemary, oregano, etc.).
Raw vegetables (radish, radish, horseradish, onion, celery, eggplant).

The pungent taste is light, hot and dry. Pungent taste promotes digestion, stimulates appetite, cleanses the oral cavity, eliminates blood clots and stagnation, cleanses the blood, kills microbes and viruses, and warms the body from the inside. Pungent taste enhances the taste of food. It has an antiseptic, bactericidal effect, treats skin diseases, stops itching, promotes perspiration and eliminates toxic accumulations, destroys worms.

When consumed in excess, the pungent taste causes exhaustion, fatigue, apathy, exhaustion, dizziness, fainting, and loss of consciousness. Causes thirst and a burning sensation. May cause gastritis and stomach ulcers.

bitter taste

Bitter taste increases Vata, reduces Pitta and Kapha. Effect on the body: cooling.

A bitter taste corresponds to a bitter smell. Bitter tastes include:

The bitter taste cleanses the body of toxins and toxins, eliminates salts, no matter how deeply they penetrate the body, destroys worms. Relieves burning sensation, itching, inflammatory skin conditions and thirst. It has a bactericidal, antipyretic effect. In moderation, the bitter taste stimulates digestion. Having a drying effect on the body, it reduces the amount of fat and promotes weight loss.

The bitter taste is not very pleasant, but it restores the sense of taste, enhancing the sensation of other tastes. Bitter taste should be consumed in in large numbers. If a person is naturally thin, i.e. Vata constitution, he does not need a bitter taste. Medicinal herbs Vata constitution should be consumed with honey.

With excessive use, the bitter taste gives rise to depression, longing, resentment, melancholy. If a person is drawn to bitter food, it means that he lives in anguish. Alcohol has a bitter taste. Drinking alcoholic beverages, a person wants to wash down his bitterness. Excessive passion for bitter taste unbalances Vata dosha. Too much bitterness leads to dehydration, causes dryness, exhaustion, fatigue, hallucinations, dizziness, dry mouth, cracking joints.

Astringent taste

Astringent taste increases Vata, reduces Pitta and Kapha. Effect on the body: cooling.

The meal should end with an astringent taste. This taste is healing, drying, binding, and naturally completes the digestion process in the body. The astringent taste is found mainly in legumes, raw vegetables, fruits and spices:

Fruits (pomegranate, pomegranate peel, persimmon, quince, cranberry, feijoa, unripe banana and other unripe fruits).
Vegetables (okra or okra).
Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, peas, beans, dal).
Nuts (hazelnuts, green walnuts).
spices (turmeric, nutmeg, saffron, parsley, basil).
Plants containing tannins (oak bark, raspberry leaves, witch hazel, geranium, plantain).
Cottage cheese.
Tea coffee.

The astringent taste is cool, dry and light. The astringent taste has a calming effect, stops diarrhea, treats inflammation in the joints, reduces sweating and slows or stops bleeding. It has anti-inflammatory and wound healing and analgesic effect, it is used in the treatment of ulcers, hemorrhoids.

Astringent taste should not be abused, because in excess it unbalances Vata dosha.

When consumed in excess, the astringent taste causes constipation, bloating, weakness, dry mouth, and speech difficulties. An excess of astringent taste causes congestion of blood vessels, pain in the heart, premature aging. Excess astringency can cause malnutrition, convulsions, facial paralysis, stroke, and other neuromuscular disorders of Vata dosha.

Tea and coffee spoil the stomach and extinguish the fire of digestion. The habit of drinking tea or coffee immediately after eating stops the digestive process.

mixed tastes

Foods and plants rarely have the same taste, but usually one of the tastes predominates.

Sweet and sour tastes are often combined in various fruits, for example in oranges, apples, pineapple, hawthorn fruits. They are very good for Vata. The sweet taste is often combined with astringents, as, for example, in persimmon, pomegranate, elm, water lily, comfrey and lotus. Herbs with a sweet astringent taste are especially good for Pitta, but can be difficult to digest. Sometimes sweet and bitter tastes are combined - for example, in licorice. These herbs are also especially good for Pitta. Can be combined sweet and spicy tastes, as in ginger, cinnamon, fennel. Such herbs are especially good for Vata.

Sometimes pungent and bitter tastes are combined, as, for example, in wormwood, motherwort and yarrow. Such herbs have a strong effect on Kapha.

In some cases, pungent and astringent tastes can be combined - for example, in cinnamon and medicinal sage. They also affect Kapha. Bitter and astringent tastes are often combined, as in many diuretic herbs. Such herbs include plantain, bearberry, "gold seal". They work mainly on Pitta.

Some foods and herbs contain three or more flavors. To determine the effect of such products and herbs, their thermal effect and the effect after digestion are important. Herbs with multiple flavors often have strong effects or a wide range impact.

What are the human tastes? What is "5th taste"?

Tactile sensations are a form of skin sensitivity due to the work of two types of skin receptors: the nerve plexuses surrounding the hair follicles
you need to feel an unpleasant taste in order to ....
It is believed that a person distinguishes either four or five elementary tastes: salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and one more, for which there is no Russian name.
The fifth taste is called "umami" and is attributed to the taste of monosodium glutamate. However, sometimes it is called "sweet", and food manufacturers believe that monosodium glutamate simply enhances the sensation of other tastes. If you believe the books about food, then there are not five, but many thousands of tastes - but culinary specialists do not mean elementary tastes, but combined ones. Recently, scientists have suspected that there are not five of them.
It turned out that taste buds rats react differently to different bitter substances. The bitter pathogen causes an increase in calcium concentration in the receptor cell, which induces the cell to secrete a transmitter (a chemical transmitter of impulses between nerve cells). To study this process, biologists A. Caisedo and S. Roper from the University of Miami (USA) introduced a fluorescent label into the taste cells of the rat tongue, which reacts to an increase in calcium levels. They then exposed the cells to various bitter compounds. It turned out that 66 percent of bitter-sensitive cells responded to only one compound, 27 percent to two, and 7 percent to more than two compounds. This means that the taste buds that respond to different bitter substances are different, but we only have one name for "bitter". Or perhaps rats are simply better versed in the bitter side of life than humans.

WHAT IS TASTE COMPOSED OF
Different substances may have a pure or mixed taste. The taste of all purely bitter substances is perceived by man in exactly the same way. So, solutions of opium, strychnine, morphine, quinine may differ from one another in the intensity of the feeling of bitterness they cause, but not in its quality. If we equalize the intensity of sensation, taking the listed solutions in different concentration, then they become indistinguishable. The same applies to sour tastes. Solutions of hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric, formic, oxalic, tartaric, citric and malic acids, taken in the appropriate dilution, are indistinguishable in taste. In the study of sweet substances, it was also found that there are no several types of sweet. Certain substances may have a more or less pronounced sweet taste, but if this taste is purely sweet, then their solutions cannot be distinguished from one another. Glucose, fructose, lactose, sucrose have a purely sweet taste. With regard to the salty taste, it has been proven that only one substance, common salt, has it in its pure form. All other brackish substances have a bitter or sour taste.
After the substance has got on the tongue, first there is a sensation of touch (that is, a tactile feeling), and only then - taste sensations in the following order: at the tip of the tongue, a salty taste appears first, followed by sweet, sour, and last of all bitter; on the basis of the tongue - first of all bitter, then salty and last of all sweet. These differences can also somehow affect the overall sensation of taste.
Sour, bitter, sweet, salty, and it's all together and incomprehensible.
5th is harmonious combination those four, I guess
http://www.fos.ru/filosophy/11858.html
http://www.krugosvet.ru/articles/105/1010554/1010554a1.htm
In humans, the sense of taste develops with the direct participation of the branches of the trigeminal nerve, providing a variety of perceived "tastes". The concept of aroma is largely associated with the simultaneous perception of taste and smell.
The number of types of independent taste receptors is currently not precisely established. 4 "basic" tastes - socio-cultural archaism of European culture, 5 main tastes - cultures of the states of Southeast Asia.
Its standard carrier is sodium chloride, table salt, especially the ion (Na+). It is detected by ion channel receptors on the tongue, changing the action potential. Simultaneously perceived salty and sour tastes strongly interfere, making it difficult for us to understand which of the factors is stronger.

The sour taste is uniquely associated with the pH value of the liquid. The mechanism of perception is similar to the perception of salty. Oxonium ions (mainly H3O+) arise during the dissociation of acids. Since the pH value of human saliva is close to neutral (pH = 7), the action of strong acids and acids of medium strength causes a sensation of pure sour taste. However, some weak organic acids and hydrolyzable ions (aluminum) can also cause a feeling of astringency (astringency).

Sweetness is usually associated with the presence of sugars, but the same sensation comes from glycerol, certain proteins, amino acids. One of the chemical carriers of "sweet" are hydroxo groups in large organic molecules - sugars, as well as polyols - sorbitol, xylitol. Sweet detectors G-proteins located in the taste buds.

Bitterness, like sweetness, is perceived through G-proteins. Historically, bitter taste has been associated with an unpleasant sensation, and possibly a danger to some herbal products for good health. Indeed, most plant alkaloids are both toxic and bitter, and evolutionary biology has reason to believe so.
Substances with a characteristic strong bitter taste: denatonium (Bitrex 4, synthesized in 1958), Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC abbreviation), Quinine

The "fifth taste", traditionally used in Chinese culture, in other countries of the East. Umami (Japanese) is the name given to the taste sensation produced by free amino acids, specifically glutamine, which can be found in fermented and aged foods such as Parmesan and Roquefort cheeses, soy sauces and fish sauces. They are also found in a large number of unfermented foods, such as walnuts, grapes, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms and, to a lesser extent, in meat.

Someone from a combination of products makes a whole science, and someone relies on their own taste. And there are people whose taste is very unusual: they manage to combine so different ingredients that at first glance it may seem that these products in no case could be on the same plate ...

Creating taste is a talent, an incredible mixture of fantasy, bold experimentation and subtle culinary knowledge. If you have all these skills, you can come up with something amazing. Some combinations of products have long become classics: apples with cinnamon or anise greens, potatoes and nutmeg, bacon and eggs ... But it turns out to be especially interesting if you try to combine different-tasting foods. A textbook example of this combination is thin slices and a sweet red-orange melon.

The invention of a new dish is more important for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a new planet.

Jean Antelme Brillat-Savarin

Bold chefs

If you think that unusual is a newfangled invention of modern culinary specialists, you are deeply mistaken. For example, Mexicans have long liked to add hot chili in chocolate, and chocolate in meat. Difference is also characteristic of. For example, Thai cooking is all about variety: a dish can contain incredible flavors and aromas, while being spicy, sweet, sour and salty at the same time. And Jean-Antelme Brillat-Savarin, who lived in the 18th century, the author of the famous book “Psychology of Taste”, finally consolidated the tradition of such mixing by writing: “Dessert without cheese is like a beauty without an eye”, forever justifying this famous aphorism many gastronomic whims at once: pears with blue cheese, and beets with goat.

Prepare a salad of watermelon, avocado and Imeretian cheese With green onions . Take 100 g watermelon pulp, 80 g Imeretian cheese, 50 g avocado, 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds and some green onions. Chop and mix all the ingredients, and then pour the salad dressing from olive oil, black ground pepper and sea salt.

Chocolate tastes twice as good...

Napoleon loved chocolate-covered pork, and Mexicans eat turkey with chocolate sauce"Mole poblano". In Ukraine, they went even further, inventing a strange national delicacy- lard in chocolate. The Americans are not far behind either. For example, in Chicago they produce chocolate with bacon. But there are more desperate combinations: mushrooms with peanut butter, chili ancho and wasabi. And how would you like Mast Brothers Chocolate Black Truffle chocolate, where 74% chocolate, and sea salt? By the way, the addition of salt is no longer revolutionary: some believe that it perfectly emphasizes the sweetness of dark chocolate.

Those who are not ready for such diametrically opposite combinations of tastes can choose a simpler option for themselves: chocolate is great friends with fruits, especially citrus fruits.

cook up candied oranges in Apple pie order . Take 2 small oranges, a bar of dark chocolate and a glass of sugar. cut it orange peel into even long strips, put them in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes. Drain the water and repeat the procedure again. Mix sugar with water (1:1) and boil the peels in this syrup for about an hour. Put the candied fruits in a sieve to drain excess liquid and refrigerate. Melt the chocolate in a water bath. Dip candied fruits in it and spread on cooking paper. Let the chocolate harden and enjoy!

Genes and menu

If you think that love for certain flavor combinations is instilled in us from childhood or is our conscious choice, then you are mistaken. Scientists are increasingly inclined to believe that this choice is made by our genes. Each person has their own way of experiencing this or that taste. It depends on the state of health, and sensitivity. There is even the term "taste blindness", which means that some people are immune to certain tastes. Take, for example, bitter: someone is generally unable to eat such food, and someone may require supplements - we feel it so differently. Currently, scientists know about 30 genes encoding the recognition of bitterness.

Fifth Element

What flavors do we know? Any child will answer this question: sweet, sour, bitter and salty. At first, it was really believed that there were four basic tastes, which was quite convincingly written in the 19th century by the German scientist Adolf Fick. And a map of the taste zones of the tongue, beloved by tasters, created in 1901, shows the work of its receptors as follows: the tip mainly reacts to sweet, the sides a little further - to salty, above - the sour zone, and the base reports a bitter taste.

Everything seems to be simple, but, as it turned out, unscientific. Now it is believed that each receptor senses everything (we tried to lick a lemon with the tip of the tongue, which is responsible for sweets - all true). However, the physiology of taste is a relatively young science and can still present us with many surprises. For example, one of the latter is called "umami" - the already recognized fifth taste. As the name suggests, the word is Japanese. Wishing to solve the mystery of umami, Tokyo professor Kikunae Ikeda researched chemical composition seaweed Laminaria japonica (and broth from it) - important element soups national cuisine. As a result, in 1908 he published a work dedicated to the natural flavor enhancer and, in fact, the bearer of umami taste. In living organisms, it is present in the composition of proteins, low molecular weight substances and in free form. Later, Ikeda patented a method for the production of monosodium glutamate (the additive E621 known to us).

Umami is meat taste”, which is formed during the fermentation of proteins, for example, during heat treatment meat and cheese production (especially a lot of umami in parmesan). The receptors of the tongue recognize this taste like all the others. We feel it in other foods as well: mushrooms, tomatoes, oysters, walnuts, wine, fish sauce…

It's pretty hard to describe. But it is known that it goes well with other tastes. That's why we like duck so much honey marinade or pate with pumpkin-ginger confiture.

Prepare a peach stuffed chicken . cut it fresh peaches in half, remove the bone. chop red onion and marinate in lemon juice. Mix 100 g of grated Parmesan, 150 g of baked and chopped chicken meat(breasts), pickled onion and finely chopped pickled cucumber. Add mayonnaise and spices to taste. Let the stuffing soak in. After an hour, stuff the peach halves and sprinkle with chopped herbs.

After everything described above, only one thing can be said: cooking in itself is a matter of taste. Therefore, disputes about the flavor compounds of products are rather meaningless. After all, any combination that you enjoy is a harmonious combination!

ABOUT The main tastes of a person is a concept associated with ethno-cultural historical tradition.

The number of types of independent taste receptors is currently not precisely established.

4 basic flavors- sociocultural tradition of European culture,

5 basic flavors- the tradition of the culture of the states of Southeast Asia.

Story

In Western culture, the concept of "basic tastes" dates back at least to the time of Aristotle.

Aristotle mentioned "sweet" and "bitter" as basic, and "meat taste", "salty", "burning", "tart", "astringent" and "sour" - as developed from these two "basic". The ancient Chinese philosophy of the five elements described five basic tastes: bitter, salty, sour, sweet, and spicy.

Some Japanese researchers mention a taste called kokumi, which is described as a sensation of “fullness” of the mouth cavity, “density”, which is variable in strength and duration. It can be expected that the intensive development modern science will soon make it possible to determine the specific characteristics and intimate mechanisms of the taste buds, and the number of recognized "basic" tastes will only increase. Note that in the terminology of professional tasters ( food products, tea, coffee, wine, tobacco) the number of basic flavors used is much larger, but these terms refer to aroma rather than taste itself.

Basic flavors

The concept of a limited number of "basic tastes" goes back to the ancient worldview, which is based on the idea of searching for a limited number of reasons for a universal explanation of the observed facts, a kind of atomism. However, the perception of taste also includes a socio-cultural component, determined by the nature of food and the traditions of peoples who do not belong to European culture, therefore, as we generalize the data, we open up more and more new approaches to describing tastes. There is a possibility, by analogy with recent studies of odor perception, that the number of individual various types There are many more taste buds than the traditionally allocated 4-5.

Salty

Its standard carrier is sodium chloride (common salt), especially the ion (Na+). It is detected by ion channel receptors on the tongue, changing the action potential. Simultaneously perceived salty and sour tastes strongly interfere, making it difficult for us to understand which of the factors is stronger.

Sour taste

The sour taste is uniquely associated with the pH value of the liquid. The mechanism of perception is similar to the perception of salty. Oxonium ions (mainly H3O+) arise during the dissociation of acids. Since the pH value of human saliva is close to neutral (pH = 7), (in children, the pH value is 7.04 ± 0.03, although in adults the glands located in the oral cavity secrete several various secrets- on the root of the tongue, hard and soft palate are mucous salivary glands, the secret of which contains a lot of mucin, a different secret in the submandibular and sublingual glands).

In adults, mixed saliva is found in oral cavity, has a pH = 6.8 ... 7.4, so the tongue can feel more or less acidic zones in the mouth. If the product has a pH<7, мы ощущаем кислый вкус. При рН>7 we feel the so-called. "soapy" taste. Convenient acidity standard - solutions acetic acid(for comparison, the acidity of gastric juice is normal pH ~ 1).

Sweet

Sweetness is usually associated with the presence of sugars, but the same sensation comes from glycerol, certain proteins, amino acids (aspartame). One of the chemical carriers of "sweet" are hydroxo groups in large organic molecules - sugars, as well as polyols - sorbitol, xylitol. Sweet detectors are G-proteins located in the taste buds. A system of "second messengers" is used, specifically cAMP, associated with H ± channels, that is, the reception of "sour taste".

bitter

Bitterness, like sweetness, is perceived through G-proteins. Historically, the bitter taste has been associated with an unpleasant sensation, and possibly with the health hazards of some plant foods. Indeed, most plant alkaloids are both toxic and bitter, and evolutionary biology has reason to believe so.

The synthetic bitter substance denatonium (known under the brand name Bitrex) was synthesized in 1958. Its derivative (Denatonium benzoate) is used as a "repellent agent" to prevent accidental internal use toxic substances, such as children or animals.

Phenylthiocarbamide (abbreviation "PTC") is very bitter for most people, but imperceptible to some. This is due to the genetic characteristics of some people.

Quinine, a natural substance used as a treatment for malaria, is known as "reference bitterness" and is used in the manufacture of some soft drinks and gin.

Umami

Fifth Taste", traditionally used in Chinese culture, in other countries of the East. Umami (Japanese) is the name given to the taste sensation produced by free amino acids, specifically α-glutamine, which can be found in fermented and aged foods such as Parmesan and Roquefort cheeses, soy sauces and fish sauces. They are also found in a large number of non-fermented foods, such as walnuts, grapes, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, and, to a lesser extent, in meat.

Glutamates are best experienced when combined with salted foods (monosodium glutamate) - perhaps this explains why tomatoes and some other foods seem to taste much better when they are salted. Sauces with umami and salty sauces very popular in cooking: tomato sauces and ketchup in Western cuisine, soy and fish sauces in the east. Inosinic acid (often added in the form of sodium inosinate) is tasteless on its own, but has the property of enhancing the taste of glutamic acid by 5-6 times.

Feelings and tastes in the everyday sense

Bold

Fat as a characteristic of taste has been mentioned from time to time since at least the 1800s. Some researchers are not yet sure that this sensation is differentiated in all people, and, referring to the fact that the experiments were carried out on animals, they are in no hurry to recognize this taste as “basic”.

A person certainly perceives a "fatty" taste - but this sensation is not as pronounced as the standard "sweet-sour-bitter-salty" tetrad usually distinguished.

For some people with impaired liver function (for example, after hepatitis), the taste, sight of fat can cause discomfort.

Burning taste

It is associated with substances that stimulate "heat" receptors - ethanol, capsaicin (active ingredient of red pepper), piperine (active ingredient of black pepper) - they excite the branches of the trigeminal nerve, and contribute to the "pure taste" sensation.

Cooling taste

Some substances, such as menthol, are able to act on the TRPM8 protein found in cold receptors. That is why when they get on the tongue and mucous membranes of the mouth, there is a feeling of a cooling taste.

astringent

This taste is associated with the reception of tannins (tannins in tea, blackthorn berries, etc.). The mechanism of its occurrence is associated with the binding of tannins and proteins rich in proline. With insufficiently developed terminology in certain social or linguistic groups, this taste is not distinguished and is evaluated as a variant of bitter.