Fat on the Tongue (IMAGE) Washington University School of Medicine Caption Scientists already knew the tongue could sense five distinct tastes but disagreed about over whether taste buds could detect fat. New research finds the tongue recognizes fat and that variations in a gene make people more or less sensitive to the taste of fat in foods. Credit Washington University School of Medicine Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.