Are you a Supertaster?
Robert Parker, wine writer and critic, is a Supertaster and has his palate insured for one million dollars. OK then, what is a Supertaster? It’s a person who’s more sensitive to tastes than others because of a higher density of papillae on their tongue. According to studies conducted since the 1930’s approximately 25% of all people are supertasters, 50% regular tasters and 25% non tasters. I first read about this in Jennifer Rosen’s entertaining article “Taste Test”, more recently it was referred to in Jamie Goode’s excellent new book Wine Science.

To test yourself, you’ll need:

  • Blue food coloring
  • Q-tips (or something to dab the food coloring on your tongue – I used a paper towel)
  • Piece of paper with a standard (7mm) hole punched in it.
  • Magnifying glass or camera with close-up macro mode

Procedure:

  • Dab the blue food coloring on the tip of your tongue
  • Place the piece of paper with the hole in it on the tip of your tongue
  • Using the magnifying glass, count the pink dots (your papillae) in the hole or take a close-up photo.

 

Taste Test

 Evaluation:
  • If you count less than 15 papillae, you’re a non-taster.
  • Between 15 and 35, you’re a regular taster.
  • Over 35, you’re a supertaster.

 
The picture above isn’t a bunch botrytised grapes; it’s a 7mm diameter part of a tongue with blue food coloring on it.

To find out more about supertasters go to the
 BBC’s Science and Nature.
 

 

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