Cicerone Certified Beer Server Practice Exam

How many tastes can be detected by the tongue?

1. 1-4

2. 5-8

3. 9-19

4. 20-100

The correct answer is: 5-8

The correct answer is that the tongue can detect a total of five primary tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (savory). Each of these tastes corresponds to specific chemical compounds found in food and beverages, allowing our taste buds to identify a wide range of flavors. While the suggested answer indicates ranges beyond the established five basic tastes, the correct concept is centered around the primary tastes first recognized by scientists. Although there is growing discussion about additional tastes, such as fatty or starchy flavors, these are generally considered variations or combinations of the primary categories rather than entirely separate tastes. The options indicating a higher count that includes 9-19 or ranges into the 20-100 bracket can be misleading, as they suggest a level of specificity that doesn't align with the foundational understanding of taste perception as it stands in culinary science today. Thus, it’s important to focus on the established five tastes that are universally recognized in the context of sensory evaluation.