Starchild: What Malaysian kids love to taste with their amazing taste buds

Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, 10

Have you ever wondered how your tongue knows if something is sweet, salty, sour, bitter or savoury? This is because our tongue can recognise five basic tastes.

Jayden Tan Li Sheng, 12Sweet is one of the first tastes we enjoy, even as babies. Think of ice cream, honey or ripe mangoes. Sweet foods often give us energy because they contain sugar.

When you eat French fries or crispy snacks, you taste salt. A little salt makes food yummy, but too much is not healthy.

Have you tried biting into a lemon or tamarind? That sharp, tangy taste is called sour.

Bitter is a taste that not everyone likes, especially children. Bitter gourd (a type of vegetable), black coffee and some leafy greens are bitter. Even though bitter foods taste strong, many of them are good for your health.

Savoury is called the fifth taste. It's also known by its Japanese word umami. You can find umami in foods like cheese, mushroom, soy sauce and even chicken soup. Umami makes dishes taste fuller and more satisfying.

Tan Yu Xing, 10The next time you eat, try to guess which of the five tastes you are experiencing!

Here are the letters from Starchild readers on the topic, My taste buds.

"Let me tell you about a food so tasty! My parents and I went to a restaurant one afternoon. I decided to be brave and ordered curry noodles. I thought it would be boring but I was proven wrong. It was spicy, creamy and loaded with delicious vegetables.

Later that evening, my mother cooked her famous chicken soup. I don't know what magic she put in it, but my mouth said 'yummy!' with every scoop. I love how food can surprise us, make us laugh and bring our family together. I say, thank you, taste buds," writes Tan Yu Xing, 10.

"I enjoy many kinds of food; sweet tasting ones like fruits and chocolates are nice, while savoury ones like curry puff and sushi are delicious too. Recently, I have grown to enjoy spicy food like curry noodles. I love to explore all kinds of food," says Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, 10.

Michelle Tan Mei Kuan, 10Jayden Tan Li Sheng, 12, writes, "I love pizza. It uses ingredients like cheese, tomato sauce, meat and mushroom toppings, which taste extra rich and savoury. I also love my dad's home-cooked spaghetti which has mushroom, parmesan cheese, garlic and sambal. It suits my taste perfectly. Yummy!"

Michelle Tan Mei Kuan, 10, says her taste buds are more drawn to umami. "I love eating pizza, which is packed with umami flavour. It has meats like ham and pepperoni, which are my favourites along with cheese topping and anchovies. These ingredients are rich in savoury taste, making the food really satisfying. It is so delicious!"

ITEM: Have you ever walked or travelled across a famous bridge? Which bridge do you like best, and why? Perhaps it's the Penang Bridge, which connects Seberang Perai on the mainland side of the state with Bayan Lepas on the island. Or the famous Tower Bridge in London? Starchild wants to know.

Email your contributions to [e-mail] by Sept 5. Please put "STARCHILD: Bridges" in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact and address. Instead of handwritten letters, please type out your letters.