If you love food, you might be interested in knowing if you are a supertaster.People with an increased amount of taste buds experience more intense flavors when they eat.You can count the number of taste buds by using food dye.If you are old enough to drink wine will increase their visibility.It isn't a sure-fire test, but you may take note of how you experience certain flavors.Only 25% of people in the world are supertasters, but you could be one of them!
Step 1: Blue food coloring can be put onto your tongue.
Make sure the dye coats the entire top of your tongue by swirling it onto it.The Papillae can be seen from the surface of your tongue.Avoid using red or pink food dye as it is too close to the color of your tongue.If you don't have food dye, you can swirl red wine in your mouth.The taste of red wine is stimulated by acids and sugars.
Step 2: Put a sticker on your tongue.
Put a hole-punch sticker on the top of your tongue.Since your tongue is wet, place it on the top and tilt your head to keep it in place.If you don't have a hole-punch reinforcement sticker, you can cut a piece of lined paper into a strip.It's better to put it on the front of your tongue.
Step 3: You can use a magnifying glass and a flashlight.
Put a flashlight on your tongue.You can see your tongue reflected in the mirror if you position the magnifying glass at an angle between your face and mirror.A magnifying mirror can be used if you don't have a magnifying glass.
Step 4: There are bumps inside a sticker.
Take a deep breath and count how many bumps you see inside the sticker.If you have more than 30 you are a supertaster.Double-check your tally if you have a friend, family member, or roommate with you.If you are using a strip of paper and red wine, place it on your tongue toward the back.You are a supertaster if you have more than 8 lumps.
Step 5: You should notice that you tend to avoid bitter foods.
The back of the tongue is where the large lump of papillae are located.Supertasters have a lot of these lump.You could be a supertaster if you avoid these foods because of their bitter taste.Beer (IPAs, bitter pale-ales) and Coffee Dark chocolate are some of the naturally bitter foods supertasters avoid.
Step 6: If green vegetables taste sour, then you should eat them.
Some greens can taste bitter and off-putting to supertasters.You might be a supertaster if you deliberately avoid these foods.If you avoid these foods because you dislike them, that doesn't mean you're a supertaster.To get the natural flavor of each vegetable, eat the greens raw or cooked with little to no oil and seasoning.
Step 7: You should try spicy foods to see how you react.
Supertasters experience flavors more intensely than regular tasters and spicy peppers will be very spicy even to the point of pain.Supertasters have more pain receptors on the tongue.If you avoid hot sauces and peppers because of pain, that could be a sign that you are a supertaster.You might still be a supertaster if you like the burn of spicy foods.
Step 8: Do you think it tastes soapy?
The taste of cilantro is fresh and refreshing.It might taste soapy or metallic if you are a supertaster.You can eat fresh- picked leaves or dried leaves.Some people think that cilantro tastes bitter.
Step 9: You should notice if you think food is over-seasoned on a regular basis.
It's possible that you have more taste buds than the average eater if you judge food too salty, too peppery, or too heavy on the spices.You could be a supertaster if you really are a picky eater.This isn't a sure-fire sign because it could be that you like lightly-seasoned foods.