Meet The Five Basic Tastes

Our tongue knows five basic tastes. Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. When we eat, taste buds sense the food and send signals to our brain. Sweet is found in fruits, honey, and desserts. It is a taste many people enjoy. Sour gives food a sharp, tangy taste. Lemons and yogurt are common examples. Salty is found in many everyday foods. A little salt can bring out other flavors. Bitter is found in foods like leafy greens and cocoa. It can be a strong taste. Umami is a rich, savory taste. You can find it in mushrooms, tomatoes, and soups. Taste buds sense food and send signals to the brain. That is how we recognize taste. A food can have many tastes. They can mix together to create different flavors. Our sense of taste helps us explore food and discover what we like. So the next time you eat, stop and notice what you taste. Five basic tastes can be a little discovery.