Supertasters

Ever wonder why kids are such picky eaters? Physiology may be partly to blame.
Fungiform papillae are raised bumps on the surface of the tongue which contain taste receptor cells (taste buds). It is supposed that folks who have more of these projections are supertasters, with a heightened sensation for salty, sweet, sour, or bitter (and the fifth sense, umami, that I’ll expand on later) tastes. While adults have larger papillae, children have far more so the surface of their tongue has much more dense taste reception.
Some evidence suggests that adult supertasters are more likely to be women, as well as people of Asian, African and South American descent. I have read an interesting suggestion that these individuals may have an evolutionary advantage, with heightened sense of taste helping them avoid potentially toxic foods and decreased disease risk by a natural preference towards fruits and veggies.
To find out if you are a supertaster, the ADA suggests punching a small hole in a piece of waxed paper, putting you tongue through the hole and applying food coloring. Then use a mirror and magnifying glass to count the papillae. Your count should range between 5 for nontasters to 12 or more for supertasters…