Well, we certainly wouldn’t be doing our namesake justice if we passed over this story. In addition to the four everyone knows (bitter, sweet, sour, salt) and the fifth most of you know (umami), researchers are suggesting that the human palate can detect fat as a distinct taste.

The research also found that a person’s sensitivity to tasting fat appeared to correlate to weight — essentially, the theory goes, people with lower BMIs have a higher sensitivity to the “fat” taste and tend to eat less of it. (Chef’s hat tip to Mr. Kottke)