Book 1, Question 15 · Video
Why Can We Taste Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter and Umami?
Your tongue is a tiny taste lab with five special jobs! Sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami each help you learn something about your food, from energy to salt balance to warnings
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why can we taste sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami?
The Big Idea
Your tongue is like a tiny taste detective! It can spot five basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. And each taste has its own special job! Let's meet them.
Sweet and Salty
First up: sweet and salty! Sweet tells your body, here's energy! You find it in fruit, honey, and candy. Salty helps keep the right balance of fluids in your body. Your tongue spots it in salt, like on crackers.
Sour and Bitter
Next: sour and bitter! Sour warns you about acids, like in lemons, yogurt, and pickles. Pucker up! Bitter is a safety alarm, warning about things that might be harmful. You'll find it in dark greens, coffee, and dark chocolate.
Umami
Last: umami! It's a Japanese word for a savory, delicious taste. It tells you a food is full of protein, which helps your body grow. Find it in broths, cheese, mushrooms, and soy sauce.
A Closer Look
Let's zoom in on your tongue! See those tiny bumps? They hold thousands of taste buds. Each taste bud has special cells that detect the five tastes. When food touches them, signals zoom along nerves to your brain. And your brain says: Mmm, sweet! That's how you taste!
Quick Facts
Quick facts! Smell does a big part of the flavor work! Your nose and tongue are a team. That's why food seems bland when you have a stuffy nose. Your taste buds are replaced about every two weeks! And every part of your tongue can taste all five tastes.
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! With a grown-up, pinch your nose, and taste a jellybean. What do you notice? Now let go of your nose. What do you taste now? Your nose just switched the flavor back on!
Outro
So your five tastes each have a job, guiding you to good food, and away from yucky stuff! Remember, Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!