LIFESTYLE In The Know · Calendar · Spotlight Artist · 5 Faves
Taste Sensation Why do some things taste better together than others? WRITTEN BY ZACCHORELI FRESCOBALDI-GRIMALDI
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he tongue, for all its functional importance, is a largely misunderstood, multipurpose muscular organ. We use it to speak, mock others, whistle, and eat. Arguably, the tongue’s most important daily task is the role it plays in the gustatory system. This system includes cranial nerves, gustatory cortex, and approximately 9,000 papillae, or taste buds. Taste buds have their own little regions on the tongue. Each region is responsible for detecting specific flavor profiles. The very back of the tongue detects bitterness, the tip helps with sweet and savory, and two locations on each side of our tongue identify sour and salty. … continued on page 20