7
The tongue is not only for talking
Textbook: Part 1, pp. 24–26
GoalKnow the jobs of the tongue (tasting, moving food, making sounds) and the four basic tastes.
New words
tongue · tiltaste · ta’msweet · shirinsour · nordon
Explanation
We sense taste with the tongue. There are four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. The tongue turns food around in the mouth to help us chew. It also takes part in speech: for different sounds the tongue takes different positions. How food tastes depends not only on taste but also on its smell and temperature.
Worked examples
Honey is sweet, salt is salty, lemon is sour, hot pepper is achchiq (the word covers bitter and spicy-hot).
When our nose is blocked, food tastes weaker.
Class activity
Experiment: close your eyes and pinch your nose tightly. A teacher (or parent) gives you a piece of apple and a piece of raw potato and asks “what is it?”. Can you tell them apart? Now let go of your nose: is there a difference? Conclusion: the nose helps with tasting. Safety: taste only familiar, washed foods and never taste anything unknown.
Practice
1
Name the four basic tastes.
sweet, salty, sour, bitter
2
What does a lemon taste like?
sour
3
What does the tongue do when we eat?
turns the food around, helps chewing and senses the taste