Curious Cook: The symphony of taste

There is now convincing evidence that we also have a taste sense called kokumi and yet another one for fat. Together with the senses for sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami, they work like a mini CSI lab in our head to analyse the food we eat.

There is a new taste announced around 2009, called kokumi, which translates as “hearty-tasting” or “full-bodied taste”. It is the reason why we prefer slow-cooked meats, aged cheeses, and also yeast extracts. The taste of kokumi is triggered by calcium ions landing on kokumi receptors in the tongue – and although scientists have a general idea as to how it works, they are pretty divided as to why it works.