Researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis conducted a study published in the New Scientist that suggests foods rich in carbohydrates have a uniquely distinct taste, revealing that "starchy" could be a noteworthy taste in its own right. Researchers found that the human taste palette can distinguish carbohydrates in certain foods like pasta, potato and bread.

"Every culture has a major source of complex carbohydrates. The idea that we can't taste what we're eating doesn't make sense," Juyun Lim at Oregon State University said, according to the New Scientist. The team gave volunteers a range of different carbohydrate solutions during the experiment. "They were able to detect a starch-like taste in solutions that contained long or shorter carbohydrate chains. They called the taste 'starchy,'" said Lim. "Among the participants, Asians indicated a "rice-like" flavor whereas Caucasians described the taste as being "bread like" or "pasta like."

"Like eating flour," she added. Researchers have not yet identified the taste buds that specifically differentiate between starchy and non-starchy foods but studies are ongoing. The five basic tastes - sweet, sour, bitter and salty - might be making room for another one "umani," a savory taste that was also identified during the study.