Now that I have planted the seed of curiosity, it is just
fair that I tell you how to found out whether you are a supertaster! Several
tests can be used to determine your classification and the most readily
available method is using food coloring, here are the steps:
1. Obtain a magnifying glass,
flashlight, cotton swab, and blue food coloring.
2. Look inside your mouth. You
will see several bumps of varying size. Most of these are filiform papillae,
which play no role in taste perception.
3. To view the fungiform
papillae, which contain taste pores that serve as conduits for chemicals from our
food to reach the taste buds, moisten a cotton swab with blue food coloring and
then paint your tongue from the tip to about ¾-inch back (in the direction of
the throat).
4. Stick out your tongue and using
a flashlight and magnifying glass, inspect it. You should see pink circles
against a blue background. These are the fungiform papillae.
5. Supertaster have more than 35
papillae per 7mm diameter circle.
“Supertasting” can also be tested
for by assessing your ability to taste 6-n-propylthiouracil (PTC).
PTC-impregnated paper is not readily available for the general public but the
test consists of putting the paper in your mouth and chewing it. Individuals
who are supertaster will sense a very unpleasant bitter taste.
So you might laugh at me but my roommates and I just tried this. We tried using an index card and cutting the 7mm circle in it and it didn't work so well. I also think we may have needed a stronger magnifying glass but the little one we had worked alright. The results came out that I only had about 20 papillae in the circle which I guess explains why I can eat nearly anything and tastes don't really bother me. This was kind of fun to do but I recommend not letting your friends squirt the food coloring in your mouth. Use something to swab your tongue like the directions say.
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