The “Taste Map” of the Tongue

You may have seen drawings of the tongue in which different regions are responsible for different tastes. That’s a common misconception. Receptors for the five basic tastes—bitter, salty, sweet, umami, and sour—are in all areas of the tongue.

Five tongues with the same areas for taste highlighted in a different color. Red labeled bitter, yellow labeled salty, green labeled sweet, blue labeled umami, and purple labeled sour.
The five basic tastes: bitter, salty, sweet, umami, and sour.