TSV

Basic Tastes in Cooking - TSV

Basic tastes in cooking are classifications of fundamental tastes that can be perceived by the human tongue. Modern culinary science recognizes five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Each of these tastes serves different physiological roles and serves as important guidelines for ingredient selection, cooking methods, and flavor balance. Umami, in particular, was discovered by Dr. Kikunae Ikeda in 1908 and officially recognized as the fifth basic taste in 2009.

cooking taste basic tastes umami seasoning food culture

code	slug	name	description	keyIngredients	physiologicalRole	discoverer	discoveryYear	note
01	sweet	Sweet	Sweet taste from sugars. Serves as an indicator for energy intake.	["Sugar","Honey","Fruits","Maple syrup","Coconut sugar"]	Promotes intake of energy sources			
02	sour	Sour	Sour taste from acids. Serves as a warning against spoilage or unripeness.	["Lemon","Vinegar","Citrus fruits","Plum","Yogurt","Tomato"]	Protective function warning against spoilage or unripeness			
03	salty	Salty	Salty taste from sodium chloride. Serves as an indicator for mineral replenishment.	["Salt","Soy sauce","Miso","Seafood","Pickles","Salted seafood"]	Replenishment of essential minerals and maintenance of fluid balance			
04	bitter	Bitter	Bitter taste from alkaloids, etc. Has a warning function against toxic substances.	["Coffee","Beer","Bitter melon","Tea","Cacao","Celery"]	Warning function to prevent intake of toxic substances			
05	umami	Umami	Savory taste from glutamate, etc. Serves as an indicator for protein intake.	["Kelp","Bonito flakes","Shiitake mushrooms","Tomato","Cheese","Soy sauce","Miso"]	Protein intake and digestion promotion	池田菊苗 (Kikunae Ikeda)	1908	
06	spicy	Spicy	Stimulating flavor perceived as pain/heat sensation. Not included in the five basic tastes.	["Chili peppers","Wasabi","Mustard","Black pepper","Ginger","Sichuan pepper"]	Metabolism promotion and sweating effect through pain stimulation			Not included in the five basic tastes but an important seasoning element in cooking