What can my tongue taste all by itself?

Think about the first lick of a lemon, and how your whole face scrunches up. Now think of a spoonful of strawberry jam, and how your face goes soft and happy. Your tongue notices the difference right away.

Your tongue gets busy every time you eat. So let's wonder about it together. What can your tongue taste all by itself?

Your tongue is covered in little bumps that make it feel a bit rough. Hidden in those bumps are taste buds, which means tiny tasting spots that send messages to your brain. Your taste buds tell your brain what each bite of food is like.

The first taste your taste buds know is sweet. They find it in honey, ripe bananas and birthday cake. Sweet tells your body that a food holds energy for running and playing.

Next comes salty, the taste of pretzels and crunchy crackers. Your body needs a little salt to work well. Salty helps you find it.

Then there is sour, the taste that makes a lemon so zingy. Sour tells you that a fruit is not ripe yet, or that milk has gone bad. What do you think your taste buds say about very dark chocolate, or a crunchy leaf of kale?

Dark chocolate and kale taste bitter, and they are safe to eat. Many bitter plants in the wild can make people sick. So a bitter taste works like a little warning from your tongue to slow down.

The last taste is savory, which means a rich, mouth-filling taste like warm chicken soup. Your taste buds find savory in cheese, mushrooms and ripe tomatoes. Savory tells you a food has the building stuff your body uses to grow strong.

Your tongue tells you that strawberry jam is sweet. Your nose tells you it is strawberry, because it smells the jam while you chew.

Taste buds. Savory. The taste buds on your tongue can taste five things all by themselves: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savory.

Goodnight, clever taster, and sweet dreams.