You can also use green food dye—just avoid using red or pink, as it’s too close to the color of your tongue. If you don’t have any food dye (and if you’re of legal drinking age), swirl red wine in your mouth. Red wine contains acids and sugars that stimulate the taste receptors on your tongue.
If you don’t have a hole-punch reinforcement sticker, cut a piece of lined paper into a small strip that includes 1 hole punch. Lay that on the front area of your tongue instead.
If you don’t have a magnifying glass, you can also use a magnifying mirror.
If you have a friend, family member, or roommate around, ask them to help you count the bumps or double-check your tally. If you’re using a strip of paper and red wine, place it on your tongue toward the back (where you see larger lumps). If you have more than 8 lumps, you’re a supertaster.
Coffee Dark chocolate Non-sweetened alcoholic beverages (like gin and tonics) Beer (IPAs, bitter pale-ales)
Keep in mind that if you avoid these foods just because you don’t like them, that doesn’t make you a supertaster. Eat the greens raw or cooked with little to no oil and seasoning to let the natural flavor of each vegetable come through.
If you avoid jalapeno peppers, serrano peppers, tabasco peppers, cayenne, or hot sauce because you experienced pain, that could be a sign that you’re a supertaster. If you like the burn of spicy foods, you might still be a supertaster—you’ve just conditioned yourself to like the sensation.
Some supertasters think cilantro tastes bitter as well.
However, this isn’t a sure-fire sign because it could be that you just like lightly-seasoned foods.
