Taste and flavour are words that evoke pleasure and well-being , that speak to us of generally positive perceptions and experiences that our organism allows and facilitates in our daily life. And they are words associated with the fact of eating.

Nourishment and nourishment are fundamental to our survival, but the truth is that different elements have different compositions and chemical properties that both smell and taste are capable of perceiving. The fact is that we have organs with specific receptors for these properties, something that allows us to perceive different types of flavours.

Throughout this article we will mention the main types of flavors that exist .

The sense of taste and flavour

Before commenting on the existence of different types of flavours, we should first analyse what a flavour is and where it comes from. We call flavour the perception by the organism of the chemical properties of an object or food which is linked to the sense of taste. Thus taste itself is the perception that allows this sense: just as sight allows us to see images and hearing to capture sounds, in the case of taste we capture flavours.

Physiologically, the perception of taste is due to the action of certain receptors called taste buds, which are found in the numerous papillae located mainly on our tongue (although there are also some on the palate and pharynx).

These receptors are activated when a substance with certain chemical properties reaches them, which will generate a response that will later be transferred to the nerve pathways and after being processed will be identified with the taste-

Although we generally associate taste merely with pleasure, the truth is that being able to perceive them can mean the difference between life and death, being of vital importance for survival. Thanks to the sense of taste and the perception of the flavour of food, we can detect the chemical properties of what we eat and predict whether or not it may be negative for our survival or on the contrary, it favours it.

Types of Flavors

As we have mentioned before, our sense of taste allows us to detect a certain variety of flavours thanks to the receptors we have in our language (and partly in the palate). Mainly and until now, five basic flavours have been found that our organism is capable of capturing.

1. Sweet

The sweet taste is one of the most basic and relevant both for humans and for other species, being one of the first flavors to be perceived and one of the most sought after by most living beings .

This taste is generally associated with hydrocarbon compounds such as sugars, and it is generally considered that most receptors for this taste are found on the tip of the tongue.

Likewise, it is also one of the flavors most associated with smell, being easily altered the perception of this flavor and its intensity depending on the aroma of the food in question. Generally, at least in the human being it is usually one of the preferred tastes throughout life, especially in childhood and old age.

2. Salty

The second of the basic flavors is the so-called salty flavor. It is a reaction to the detection of sodium chloride and other salts in what we take to our mouth , and which is essential as it helps us to find foods that contribute to regulating the electrolyte balance of our body and maintain homeostasis.

In fact, there is the so-called salt appetite linked to the search at a biological level for the regulation of this need. It tends to become more and more relevant and sought after by human beings as we grow and mature, and its receptors are located mainly in the bands of the tips of the tongue .

3. Acid

This taste is usually linked to sourness, associated with foods in poor condition. This flavor comes from substances that are, as the name of the flavor indicates, acids, and that could have some danger for the organism . This is why it is usually unpleasant and avoided by most people, at least in the first few years of life.

However, they also contribute to regulating the pH of our organism, their perception being linked to the electrical charge of the molecules that come into contact with their receptors (apparently their channels being sensitive to the concentration of protons in their molecules).

It is present in such relevant foods as citrus fruits. Interestingly, it also seems to be linked to the sense of balance , being the type of channel (OTOP1) related to its perception also in the vestibular system. Its main receptors are found in the most posterior bands or sides of the tongue, close to the palate and pharynx.

4. Bitter

This fourth basic taste is also one of the most relevant and first to be possessed, since it has the particularity that is mostly unpleasant for humans and usually warns us of being in the presence of food in poor condition or with toxic potential. However, many people like some foods that have this type of taste, including drinks such as coffee. Generally, it is generated by inorganic salts.

The perception of this taste is important throughout life, and generally the foods we like come to do so through a process of habituation in which we initially find it unpleasant. Most receptors of this taste are located in the innermost part of the tongue, in its medial part.

5. Umami

The types of flavors recognized as such at the traditional level, and in fact those that most of us learn during formal education, are the four above. However, in recent years a new flavour has been discovered which even has specific receptors on the tongue.

We are talking about the umami flavour, whose translation would be approximately “tasty/delicious” and which has now entered the classification of basic flavours. The perception of this taste is linked to the effect of glutamic acid or monosodium glutamate. It is found in many products, including meats, sauces (it is often used as an enhancer, in fact) and cheeses. The receptors for this taste are thought to be spread throughout the tongue, on its surface.

Two other flavors proposed and not flavors

The officially accepted flavours are those mentioned above, although there are others that are proposed and are in a state of investigation .

Starchy: the taste of starch and flour

Another possible taste that has been researched in universities like Oregon has not yet gone beyond a theoretical budget, having not found at the moment (it is under research) a specific recipient. This taste is derived from the perception of glucose oligomers , which can be detected even when the candy’s receptors are blocked.

It is the starchy, a possible sense of taste linked to the perception of starch, starch and flour products such as bread, pasta or rice , and that according to the experiments would be perceived differently depending on the culture and type of food we use.

Fatty taste

Most of us have probably at some point noticed the taste of fat on a piece of meat, which some people find unpleasant while others find it a pleasure.

And a few years ago it seems to have been found that at least the human being possesses a receptor that detects the fatty acids (although it is still under investigation since it is not known exactly how the information from them is processed).

This flavour would be a response to the detection of lipids in the food, which can be detected by itself (e.g. in fried foods) although it is usually linked to the perception of other flavours. It usually manifests itself as similar to bitterness. Interestingly, it seems that those who are less able to detect it are more likely to be obese.

A No -Flavor: The Spice and Pleasure of Pain

Although when we talk about flavors we generally think of the first four we have mentioned (sweet, salty, sour and bitter), many people come to think of the possibility of considering spicy among them. The fact is that spicy food has been part of the gastronomy of a great number of cultures throughout history, and it is not rare to hear about a food having a spicy taste or flavour.

However, the truth is that the existence of a spicy taste is not considered as such, since the sensation of spiciness produced by a food is not a perception of the chemical properties that confer the taste to a food but, in fact, it is a perception between thermal and pain. Spiciness does not have a specific receptor, but owes its perception to the release of capsaicin and other components, which cause the receptors on the tongue to raise their temperature in such a way that they generate a hurtful or itching sensation, which we perceive as spicy.

Bibliographic references:

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