Glizdka
Key Member
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2019
- Member Type
- Other
- Native Language
- Polish
- Home Country
- Poland
- Current Location
- Poland
How well is the word savory known to regular native speakers? Is it a common word everyone would understand? Is it a word that only some know, if they're into this kind of stuff, but most people wouldn't know what it means?
When I talk about "The Fifth Basic Taste" to Polish people, they react kind of like they would react to hearing about the sixth sense, or a four-leaf clover, or a pentaquark. I believe it's mostly because the Polish language doesn't have a name for the sensation produced by the taste buds that detect proteins on your tongue, and the general public is familiar only with four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter.
Some languages, however, do have a name for this taste. Most notably, Japanese calls it umami. I've heard it's called savory in English, but I'm not sure whether people generally understand it, or are aware that humans have five, not four, basic tastes in the first place.
When I talk about "The Fifth Basic Taste" to Polish people, they react kind of like they would react to hearing about the sixth sense, or a four-leaf clover, or a pentaquark. I believe it's mostly because the Polish language doesn't have a name for the sensation produced by the taste buds that detect proteins on your tongue, and the general public is familiar only with four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter.
Some languages, however, do have a name for this taste. Most notably, Japanese calls it umami. I've heard it's called savory in English, but I'm not sure whether people generally understand it, or are aware that humans have five, not four, basic tastes in the first place.