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5 Reasons We Taste What We Taste

Food isn’t the only factor that plays into why we taste what we taste.

In the world of food, flavor is king. If it doesn’t taste good, we don’t want to eat it. Our survival depends on the fact that we keep eating food because it tastes good. Scientists say the tongue can distinguish only 5 primary tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami, also known as savory. Yet we seek out foods that offer a variety of flavor sensations, not just these 5. How do we get from 5 basic tastes to endless flavor potential?