*Humans can distinguish about 100,000 different flavors.
*Taste buds on the tongue send messages to the brain about food flavors, what you like, and what you don’t like.
*You need saliva. It carries chemicals to taste receptor cells on the tongue.
*There are up to 10,000 taste buds in the mouth, mostly on the human tongue.
*The tongue has 8 very flexible muscles.
*There are five basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (savory).
*Sour counteracts sweetness and heat.
*Humans can distinguish about 100,000 different flavors.
*The tongue is all muscle and no bone.
*Everyone has their own unique tongue print.
*The average human tongue is about 3 inches long.
*Baby teeth form as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy.
*The world’s favorite scent/flavor is vanilla.
*Pigs have 15,000 taste buds – more than humans.
*The first food eaten in space was when Russian Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. He ate two servings of pureed meat and one of chocolate sauce.
*Ancient Egyptians were the first to extract flavors and scents from plants.
*You have to mix food with saliva to taste it.
*According to Falmont, a flavor company, the five most popular flavors are: vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, mint, and berry blast.
*Ageusia is the term that refers to the total loss of sense of taste.
*A blue whale’s tongue weighs about 5,400 pounds – the size of an elephant.
*According to FlavorSum, some flavors have mood-boosting powers, like vanilla (evokes happiness and relaxation), chocolate (calm and contentment), and apple (relaxation).
*A “supertaster” experiences flavor more intensely.
*The most expensive spice in the world is saffron.
*Anna Keefe wrote in Spoon University Lifestyle ten reasons why people love to eat: it brings people together, it’s social, it’s always there for you, it makes a party better, it’s fun, you can learn about a new country/culture, it shows people you care, it’s inspirational, it makes you feel good, and it tastes good.
*Do you agree?
diponegoro4d
Yes! I agree that eating is a good thing… And a very good way to socialize, for sure! I’m also glad to know that sour counteracts heat; next time I eat a raw jalapeño I will follow it with something sour… chew on a lemon maybe? I love the part about the blue whale tongue weighing as much as an elephant. Wow! Thanks for yet another great article!