Following the basic five tastes of sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami, US researchers say that fat needs to take its place as the sixth member of the band, after a study where they asked participants to organise foods according to basic tastes found that fat was unique and different from other tastes. “The taste component of fat is often described as bitter or sour because it is unpleasant, but new evidence reveals fatty acids evoke a unique sensation, satisfying another element of the criteria for what constitutes a basic taste,” said Richard Mattes, a professor of science and nutrition at Perdue University. He suggested that it be called “oleogustus,” a combination of ‘oily’ and ‘taste’ in Latin. Moving fat into a taste category of its own could help the food industry produce better substitutes for the flavour, thus reducing our dependency on high fat foods, and ultimately leading to healthier living for some.
New Respect For Fat
