The term tastant refers to any chemical that stimulates the sensory cells in a taste bud. There are many of these chemicals that cause the taste buds to recognize sweet, sour, bitter, umami (savory) and salty. The taste buds are sensory areas that are located primarily on the tongue. The taste buds respond to the tastant and the blending of taste sensations are sent to the gustatory center of the brain that recognizes and identifies the taste.