People vary dramatically in their taste perception. What one person perceives as mild and pleasant, another will perceive as aversively spicy. Perception of piquancy, sweetness, sourness, temperature, bitterness, and other components of taste all vary across individuals in this way. Some substances, such as cilantro and phenylthiocarbamide, are famously polarizing, producing perceptual experiences that differ radically across individuals. Yet there is no universal system for measuring taste perception; people have a sense for what they like, but they cannot measure it or communicate it to others precisely. This means, for example, that food providers are left almost entirely in the dark, forced to cater to the average and not the individual. To address this need, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have created methods and compositions for consumable products to measure individual differences in taste perception. This innovative approach could lead to new products in support of a universal system for measuring taste perception, with an opportunity for consumers and retailers to understand food and beverage preferences in more precise, quantitative terms.