Problem
Using some household foods and spices, map out the regions of your tongue where you best taste various substances. You may use a q-tip or your fingertip.
Touch your tongue in several places with each food or spice and note the places where you taste them the best. Make sure to rinse your mouth between various foods; you may even want to eat a cracker or just wait for 15 minutes between testings.
Draw an outline of the tongue, and identify where each taste is best received. Currently science is debating the tongue mapping, still draw the tongue and map what YOU or your subjects recognize best and where.
Do not use complex foods (combined foods). Try some of the following:
a) MSG (umami) (note: most meat tenderizers are MSG)
b) salt (salty)
c) sugar (sweet)
d) lemon juice (sour)
e) vinegar (bitter)
Similarly, test smell. Have a friend test you while you're blindfolded and try to recognize the difference between some of the following:
a) vanilla
b) cinnamon
c) vinegar
d) ammonia (do not hold too close under the nose for this one, maybe dab a cotton ball in a bit of ammonia)
e) orange
f) lemon
g) banana
h) garlic
Note your findings. Do you have a cold, or allergies? Do you smoke? Do you have any history of blunt head trauma? Have you experienced anything that you think might interfere with the sense of smell?