A taste for something different

A taste for something different


For more than 30 years, the world has accepted that there are five basic types of taste detectable by the tongue — sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami [oo-mommy]. But scientists recently discovered that there might just be a sixth type of taste receptor lurking among our taste buds.

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to try salty licorice, a unique Scandinavian treat, you may already be familiar with the flavor of ammonium chloride.

Scientists have known for decades that the tongue responds strongly to ammonium chloride. But until now, they were not able to identify the receptors that reacted to the distinct flavor. In the recent study, scientists found that the same protein receptor that responds to sour taste also reacts to ammonium chloride, sometimes even more strongly.

Researchers made this connection because the tongue senses acid as sour, and ammonium chloride can impact the concentration of acid in a cell. Upon further study, they found that both acid and ammonium chloride activated the same protein responsible for sour taste.

But why would humans and other animals evolve to detect ammonium chloride as a basic taste?

Researchers posit that it may be due to an evolutionary development that helps protect animals from eating substances with high amounts of ammonium. Ammonium is found in biological waste and can cause illness or death if ingested in large amounts.

Scientists say this latest evidence lays the groundwork for further research around sensitivity to ammonium in other parts of the body.

They say there’s no accounting for taste. But when it comes to ammonium chloride, there just might be.

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