Basic Taste: A Perceptual Concept

Abstract

That the perceptual world of human taste is made up of four or five basic taste qualities is commonly accepted in the field of taste perception. Nevertheless, critics identify two issues that challenge this view. First, some argue that the term "basic tastes" cannot be precisely defined and, thus, is scientifically meaningless. Others accept the concept of basic tastes but believe there are many more. I argue here that it is most parsimonious to employ a perceptual definition of basic taste. I conclude that there are indeed four basic tastes (with a potential fifth) that constitute the building blocks of the human taste experience. Evidence cited includes historical writings from Chinese, Indian, and Greek cultures, ethnopharmacological research, and modern biological and psychological investigations. These perceptual "data" provide strong and convincing evidence, collected over thousands of years and from many different cultures, that the human perceptual world consists of the same basic taste qualities.

Keywords: bitter; pungent; salty; sour; sweet; taste; umami.