Is 'Fatty' The Sixth Taste?

Love a good burger or some fried bacon?  Blame your taste buds — fatty might be the sixth flavor we can taste, joining sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savory.

Washington University researchers are the first to identify a potential human receptor for tasting fat. The new study asked 21 individuals to take part in a series of taste tests. One solution contained a small amount of fatty oil. Their findings? People can identify fat in a liquid solution, and their ability to identify fat changes according to how much of a particular receptor protein they produce.

"The ultimate goal is to understand how our perception of fat in food might influence what foods we eat and the quantities of fat that we consume," senior investigator Nada A. Abumrad, PhD, of the Dr. Robert A. Atkins Professor of Medicine and Obesity Research said.

Still, some argue fatty is more a texture rather than taste.  Ah, pork fat and butter, always up for debate.

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.