Every time you eat an ice cream or a bowl of laksa, thousands of tiny helpers on your tongue jump into action. They are called taste buds.
Fun fact: You have about 10,000 taste buds — and most of them are on your tongue!
Tap Next to meet your taste buds. 👉
Look closely at a tongue and you will see tiny bumps. They are called papillae (say: pa-PILL-ay). Your taste buds hide inside these bumps. Tap a bump to discover what's inside!
Your taste buds are experts at spotting five main tastes. Tap each one to taste it in your imagination! 😋
Tasted: 0 / 5
A taste bud can't think. When food touches it, it sends a fast electric message along a nerve — all the way to your brain. Your brain decides "Yum!" or "Yuck!". Press the button to send the signal! ⚡
Here's a surprise: most of "taste" is really smell! Your nose and tongue work as a team. Try the experiment — what happens to a strawberry when your nose is blocked?
Tap a food, then tap the taste it belongs to. Match all four!
Next time you eat, say thank you to your 10,000 taste buds! 🎉