Taste in the Mouth, Gut, and Airways | The Scientist Magazine®

Taste-bud receptors, primarily on the tongue, sense the qualities of salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and umami (the taste of glutamate). While sweet, umami, and salty foods provide pleasurable sensations that drive the intake of carbohydrates, amino acids, and sodium, the tastes of bitter and sour inhibit intake of potentially toxic substances and strong acids.