“It has long been thought that our tongues register a small number of primary tastes: salty, sweet, sour and bitter. Umami – the savoury taste often associated with monosodium glutamate – was added to this list seven years ago, but there’s been no change since then. However, this list misses a major component of our diets, says Juyun Lim at Oregon State University in Corvallis. ‘Every culture has a major source of complex carbohydrate. The idea that we can’t taste what we’re eating doesn’t make sense,’ she says.”