The taste receptors on your tongue can detect five distinct taste qualities, including sweet, bitter, savory, sour, and umami; the combination of these qualities in any bite of food determines its flavor. In addition, the texture of what you eat—the crunchiness of a carrot, the smoothness of yogurt, or the unique texture of a spaghetti squash—stimulates another set of receptors, which specialize in recognizing mechanical qualities of food. The combination of all of these sensations encoded in your mouth creates the experience that you know as taste. Food companies are masters in designing
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