Our tongue does better than we imagine, as per fresh revelations from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. It can identify not five, but six tastes! USC Dornsife unveiled evidence of a potential sixth basic taste – Ammonium chloride, a compound well-acquainted with those in Scandinavian countries where it is an essential ingredient in salt licorice, a candy that dates to the early 20th century.
KnowALLedge Plus
> The five tastes that human tongue can detect are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami
> Umami was a late addition recognized in the early 1900s thanks to the work of Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda.
> Previously uncovered protein OTOP1, plays a pivotal role in detecting sour tastes. It functions as a channel for hydrogen ions when exposed to acidic sour foods, like lemonade and vinegar. Researchers hypothesised that ammonium chloride might also activate OTOP1 due to its impact on hydrogen ion concentration within cells.