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9.1: Elements of Taste

  • Page ID
    92935
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    Essentially there are a handful of elements that compose all of the taste profiles found in the foods we eat. Western definitions of taste conventionally define four major elements of taste:

    • Salty
    • Sweet
    • Sour
    • Bitter

    Asian cultures have added the following to the list:

    • Umami (literally “pleasant savory taste”)
    • Spiciness
    • Astringency

    Foods and recipes that contain a number of these elements in balance are generally those that we think of as tasting good.


    This page titled 9.1: Elements of Taste is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Sorangel Rodriguez-Velazquez via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.