There's a Fifth Sense? Yes, and it's called Umami.
Similar to the fate of Pluto, what we learned as kids is just not true anymore.
We grew up knowing that sweet, sour, salty and bitter were the only senses our tongues could discern - but now there's Umami.
Umami was identified as a 'sense' back in 1908 by a Japanese chemist named Kikunae Ikeda.
But like more visionaries, his findings were dismissed by the scientific community until 2000 when a researcher identified a taste receptor for Umami.
People have been trying to describe Umami, but it can be tricky.
Some have labeled it "savory" and others "meaty" but what you're really tasting is the molecules of glutamic acid.
Glutamic acid is one of the amino acids and is found in foods like tomato paste, aged parmesan cheese, anchovies, soy sauce, fish sauce and red wine.
Glutamic acid has also been the model for synthetic MSG.
Ready to experience Umami for yourself? Pair tomato sauce with Parmesan cheese, pickled green tomatoes with meatloaf, miso into your salad dressing, a strip of seaweed to your simmering vegetable stock or just taste a green tea.
That extra something you can't describe is Umami.
We may have evolved to enjoy umami rich foods because of the foods we pair them with.
For example, if our bodies crave the healthy ingredients in Parmesan cheese, perhaps our love of tomato's comes from the satisfaction of that craving.
Add some Parmesan cheese to a tomato slice and you have a much more tasty snack.