I’m a self proclaimed super-taster- meaning that I have more taste buds than the average person. The increased taste bud count heightens my ability to sense subtle nuisances on my palette allowing me to dissect what I’m tasting – sometimes down to each individual ingredient. It also makes me more sensitive to strong tastes like blue cheese.
I don’t know if you ever did the test in middle school science class where you placed test strips on your tongue and you were asked if you could taste the coating on the litmus paper. I was surprised at how many of my school mates couldn’t taste anything.
According to researchers 25% of the US population are considered non-tasters, 50% Tasters and 25% Super tasters. Extreme non-tasters who have the lowest number of taste-buds can gobble down habanero peepers like candy whereas super tasters are extremely sensitive to strong flavors. Although there isn’t a direct scientific connection between your tasting status and your ability to be a good cook or wine reviewer, I believe it helps.
There are a number of test kits available to see how many taste buds you actually have so you can associate yourself with one of these three taste groups. For now, I will remain a self-proclaimed super-taster and will continue to blog about my love for food and wine.
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