Four basic taste sensations are recognised by our taste buds - bitterness, sourness, sweetness and saltiness.

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Variations in the sogginess of the soil or the saltiness of the oceans will modify this signal.

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There was sweetness from the sauces, sour from the lime, saltiness from the fish sauce and spiciness from the chillies.

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Red Boat is salty, and in most recipes would be a substitute for salt, but adds much more than just saltiness.

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They blossom with the smoky flavors of seafood or meat off the grill, the spiciness of cold cuts with mustard, the saltiness of nearly anything.

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Meanwhile, the lime produced hints of sour, the soy a bit of saltiness, the salsa a tiny bit of sweetness and the pork a delicious savouriness.

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It is an extremely complex measurement, because there are so many factors at work: shifting ocean currents, the dynamics and movement of large ice shelves, and the varying temperature and saltiness of water at different places.

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Across the bridge, at his new Spanish canteen Tertulia, in Greenwich Village, Seamus Mullen marries the creaminess of risotto to the earthy richness of snails and wild mushrooms, then adds the smoky saltiness of Idiazabal cheese and Iberico ham.

WSJ: Snails Quicken Their Culinary Pace

As I grew older, I learned that infusing this kelp in water makes an elemental stock with a round, rich taste, a mild sweetness and a touch of saltiness from the sea the basis for countless Japanese dishes, and the source of their profound depth of flavor.

WSJ: Kelp Wanted