Are You a Supertaster?

Some people have more tastebuds than others, making them "super tasters." However, from a food appreciation standpoint this isn't necessarily a good thing. Having more tastebuds doesn't allow allow super tasters to acheive quicker food orgasms than the rest of us, it intensifies taste. The sensation most often reported as an indication of supertasting is a low bitter threshold: something that seems bitter to a normal taster can seem overwhelmingly bitter and repulsive to a supertaster. Being "Super" is not always a blessing (see, for instance: Man of Steel Woman of Kleenex).

For more on tastebud counting see Test your tastebuds. For some ruminations on what this might mean to food and wine critics, see Are Supertasters Good Candidates for Being Human Ideal Critics?

P.S. Since my favorite snack when I was in highschool was Hydrox Cookies washed down with Schwepps Bitter Lemon, I strongly suspect I am not a supertaster.