“Different parts of the tongue taste different flavors.”

The idea that different parts of the tongue (Review) taste different flavors, often depicted as a "tongue map," is a widespread misconception with historical roots. The myth originated from a 1901 paper by German scientist D.P. Hänig, who studied taste sensitivity across the tongue and found slight variations in detection thresholds for sweet, sour, salty, and bitter tastes. [cite: