Tongue Taste Map is a LIE!

As children, we all learned about the 4 different taste qualities the human tongue can appreciate: salty, sugar, bitter, and sour. Savory or umami was added in 1985. "Calcium" has been proposed in 2008 as well as more recently, "fatty" taste.

Along with the 5 (and possibly more) taste qualities we all had to memorize at some point, we also had to memorize the taste map of the tongue (yes... I know umami is missing):

Well... what a waste of time to memorize the tongue taste map because it is wrong!!! This tongue taste map was originally sketched by Edwin Boring in 1942 and has since been frequently reproduced in textbooks, wine classes, and biology courses.

The tongue taste map delineates specific areas where certain taste qualities are perceived better than in other areas like the state of Texas is distinctly a different region than Montana.

However, reality is a mish-mash patchwork spread unevenly throughout the tongue that is different for each person.

Each of the ~5000 taste buds found on the surface of the tongue contain clusters of over 100 taste cells with receptors that have different degrees of sensitivity to molecules carrying MORE than one basic taste and that these clusters are distributed across the entire surface of the tongue.

Bottom line?

Tongue taste map is a lie.


Reference:
The cell biology of taste. JCB vol. 190 no. 3 285-296, doi: 10.1083/jcb.201003144

Receptor seeks ligand: on the way to cloning the molecular receptors for sweet and bitter taste. Nat. Med. 5:381–382. doi:10.1038/7377

A Map of Taste. NYT 3/19/12

Bitter Taste Syndrome (Pine Nut Mouth, Artichoke Effect, Pineapple Tongue, Tomato Tongue, etc)

Ever eat something or brush your teeth after which everything tastes bitter or metallic?

This phenomenon is called bitter taste syndrome and often occurs after certain eating foods or after brushing the teeth. The altered taste lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks.

Common food culprits include toothpaste, pine nuts, tomatoes, artichoke, pineapples, and certain medications.

Not everybody experiences this problem which is felt to be due to misfiring of the sweet taste receptor in the mouth.

If per chance you are suffering from this, not to worry... it will resolve with time. However, a little sugar or artificial sweetener in food (or on the tongue) can help as well as rinsing the mouth with watered-down milk-of-magnesia or chewing (non-mint-flavored) gum.