from the urls-we-dig-up dept Thanks to the receptors in our
taste buds, eating is one of life's greatest pleasures. Of the
five different taste sensations, sweetness is probably the most
pleasing. Starting from infancy, our bodies are already
programmed to seek out sugar because it provides the energy to
keep us going. There is also some indication that babies can be
influenced to like salt if they are exposed to salty foods early
on. As part of an evolutionary survival mechanism, our bodies
are programmed to avoid eating bitter tasting things because
many toxic compounds taste bitter. People like to eat sour-
tasting foods, like citrus fruits or pickles, but from an
evolutionary perspective, sourness is generally a warning for
food spoilage. Finally, umami is supposed to be a "savory"
taste, which is produced when our taste buds detect glutamate,
the salt of the amino acid glutamic acid. Foods that naturally
have an umami taste include cheese and tomatoes, so it's no
wonder that pizza tastes so good! Here are