What are the four basic tastes? What is the fifth taste that has been proposed? What do the textbook authors mean when they say that people live in "different taste worlds"?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• The four basic tastes are salty, sour, sweet, and bitter.
• A fifth taste, umami, has been proposed. It is the taste associated with monosodium glutamate (MSG), and is found in many protein-rich foods.
• "Different taste worlds" refers to individual differences in the experience of taste.
o Our experience and culture affect our taste.
o Because of genetic differences, some people have more taste buds, are supertasters, and find certain substances (e.g., broccoli, caffeine, saccharin) to be unpleasantly bitter.
o Supertasters also perceive sweet or salty substances to be sweeter or saltier than non-supertasters.
o Variations in the sense of smell can also alter our taste experience.