Fat has a lot in common with the five basic tastes: salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami. But while people easily recognize the texture of fat, scientists say they can't quite perceive the taste.

Cooking with plant foods naturally high in compounds called glutamates can stimulate the same taste receptors that meat does. America's Test Kitchen explains in The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook.

What does beer taste like? Beer, right? Technically yes. But to certified beer tasters, or Cicerone, the taste of beer goes right to the molecular鈥�

The same genes that allow humans to sense sweet and umami flavors may play a key role in a man's reproductive fitness. Researchers found that inactivating these genes in mice can led to sterility of males.