A new taste that the tongue can perceive has been discovered
Scientists have revealed that in addition to detecting sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, the tongue also reacts to ammonium chloride as a 6th basic taste.
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In a new study published in the journal Nature, it was discovered that the protein receptors on the tongue that detect sour taste also react to ammonium chloride, a popular ingredient in some Scandinavian candies.
According to a report inIndependent Türkçe, neuroscientist at the University of Southern California and co-author of the study Emily Limanstated,"If you live in a Scandinavian country, you might be familiar with this taste and enjoy it."” they say.
IT IS FOUND IN A CONFECTIONERY POPULAR IN NORTHERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Salty licorice, a popular confectionery in some Northern European countries since at least the early 20th century, contains salmiak salt, also known as ammonium chloride.
Although scientists knew that the tongue reacted to ammonium chloride in some ways, the specific protein receptors on the tongue that respond to this substance remained unclear despite decades of extensive research.
The process became clearer when recent studies revealed the protein responsible for detecting sour taste through a protein receptor on the tongue called OTOP1. This protein, located in the membranes of cells on the tongue, creates a channel for hydrogen ions—the key component of acidic, sour foods—to enter the cell. OTOP1 plays a key role in the sharp sour sensation that acidic foods like lemonade and vinegar, which are rich in citric and ascorbic acids, produce when they touch the tongue.