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Scientists who research the sense of taste divide people into three categories: nontasters, medium tasters
and supertasters. These classifications are based on the perception of a compound known as 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP,
for short), which has a bitter taste that is perceptable to some, but not all, people. 25% of people, the nontasters,
will register nothing when they taste the compound. To 50% of the population, the medium tasters, PROP will taste
bitter, but not overly so. The remaining 25% of people are classified as supertasters and to them, the compound will
taste intensely bitter. The classification of "super taster" does not mean that one's sense of taste is
superior to another's, but that there is an increased level of sensitivity to various tastes on the tongue.
Supertasters have a much higher density of papillae, the small mushroom-like structures on the tongue that house taste buds, than medium and nontasters. Women are more likely to be supertasters than men are.
There are several ways to determine if you are a supertaster without befriending a scientist. The easiest, though least reliable, way is to take the online quiz that guesses based on your food preferences. A more reliable way is to use a cotton swab to apply blue food coloring to the tip of your tongue, covering at least 1/2 inch. Rinse your mouth gently with water. Place a plastic binder reinforcing ring (or punch a 7-mm hole in a piece of paper) over the blue area and count the pink bumps. The papillae will stay pink while the rest of your tongue is blue, so they will stand out. You are a nontaster if you count fewer than 10 and if you have approximately 30 or more, you are a supertaster. If you do not wish to dye your tongue blue, you can certainly judge whether your are more or less sensitive to taste by simply looking at the density of papillae on the tip of your tongue, though they are much easier to see against a blue background. If you scroll down at this page, you can see examples of different taster's tongues and their papillae.
Supertasters are more likely to dislike and avoid foods they perceive as bitter, like salad greens, raw vegetables, grapefruit, dry wines and tonic water, but just avoiding these types of food does not make you a supertaster, nor will all supertasters avoid these foods. Many people simply have food dislikes, regardless of the number of taste buds that they have. Additionally, though people are born with a predetermined number of taste buds, the sensitivity to PROP and other tastes can decline with age. People can also learn to appreciate other aspects of tastes that they don't initially find pleasing or they learn to mask them, such as adding cream and sugar to strong coffee.
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1-22-2006 @2:21PM Ross said... Being a supertaster is not a good thing. I am definately a foodie, and I once dated a supertaster and practically broke up with her for being one (well, it was one reason of many). Anyway, she really did not enjoy food at all, all the sensations of taste were overwhelming for her. She would only eat plain rice or pasta, maybe some grapes on a good day. If I asked her to try a food, she could really not appreciate the depth and complexities of a food, and the taste was too overpowering for her. Too bitter, too spicy, too tangy, too sour, etc. Taking her out to dinner was a nightmare, no japanese, no mexican, basically no ethnic foods. Food, which is a true joy for me, was almost abhorent for her. It was very annoying.
Now am I dating a girl who loves food as much as I do, loves to try new things, and appreciates my cooking skills.
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1-22-2006 @5:36PM Huffy said... Yes, pity the success of a relationship between a supertaster and a foodie! I'm convinced such a union would be doomed to failure, not for the least reason that cilantro would become a huge bone of contention!!
Glad you've found someone who shares your appreciation of the gustatory life, Ross.
Huffy
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1-22-2006 @5:54PM kitchenmage said... Ross, glad you found someone you're more compatible with, but if you think the other woman's supertasterness was "annoying" to you, imagine how it was for her!
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1-23-2006 @10:29AM Liz said... I believe that I am a supertaster, though I haven't done the food coloring test, and I find that with a few exceptions I can get through life just fine and enjoy many different types of foods. Cilantro is definitely on the list of no-no's, though! The only real "drawback," if you can call it that, is my dislike of wine and beer, though frankly I don't mind that much.
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1-23-2006 @12:24PM Emily said... I'm a supertaster but I'm not as picky or oversensitive as all that. I think there are different intensities of the tendency and not all of us are doomed to a life of misery and relationship problems. I am a foodie with a very broad range of likes food-wise, so I am definitely not in the category mentioned above. I love cilantro. Orange juice is a bit too acidic for me and I can only tolerate Brussels sprouts in small doses when I can handle a flavor burst. Coffee is too bitter for me unless it is cut with a lot of steamed milk. Otherwise I seem to get along just fine although I know that I am definitely a supertaster!
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1-23-2006 @6:47PM Ed said... My wife thinks I'm a supertaster, based on my food dislikes and my utter hatred of cilantro in anything but the smallest quantity. I think I'm just picky. That BBC quiz says I'm on the cusp of taster and supertaster, but I don't buy it.
Maybe it's time for some blue food coloring.
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