Our sense of taste is limited to 4 basic responses: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Recent research suggests there may be a fifth response called umami, which corresponds to savoriness. Because of the limited number of taste responses, our sense of taste is often influenced by other factors such as smell, texture, and preconceptions. This activity supports 3-dimensional learning and builds toward the following:

• NGSS Scientific and Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations
• NGSS Core Idea: Life Science 1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes