In recent study appearing in chemical senses (2015; doi: 10.1o93/chemse/bjvo36), scientists at Purdue University reported evidence that, like our other five basic tastes, fat interacts with our taste buds in a way that can make our perception of food change.
"Most of the fat we eat is in the form of triglycerides, which are molecules [composed] of tree fatty acids," said Richard D. Mattes, PHD, MPH, professor of nutrition science at Purdue andthe study author. "Triglycerides often impart appealing textures to foods, like ceaminess. However, triglycerides are not a taste stimulus. Fatty acids that are cleaved off the triglyceride in the food or during chewing in the mouth stimulate the sensation of fat."
The taste component of fat is often described as bitter or sour, because it is unpleasent, Mattes explained, but the new evidence reveals that fatty acids evoke a unque (and distinguishable) sensation for our taste buds, thus satisfying another criterion for qualifying as a basic tastes, just like sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. "By building a lexicon around fat and understanding its identity as a taste, it could help the food industry develop better tasting products and with more research help clinicians and public health educators better understand the health implications of oral fat exposure."