One of my grandmother’s favourite things to cook was cold pressed ox tongue , though it’s a tradition that I don’t really feel the need to continue. Have you ever seen one? Not only is it colossal, but requires a lot of faff in scrubbing, cooking and pressing, as well as removing a thick layer of skin on top before you eat it. I’ll pass, thanks.
Tongues, whether ox or human, are chiefly comprised of muscle – some of which control its shape and others its movement. They’re covered in specialised membranes containing many different small bumps – or papillae – linked to our tastebuds . These sense the tastes and textures of our food.
But the tongue does more than taste and help us to swallow what’s in our mouth – its appearance can also share important information about our general health. Technicolour tongues Tongues can turn a surprising range of colours. Take red tongues for instance.
A bright red, inflamed and swollen tongue is sometimes referred to as a strawberry tongue . The papillae become inflamed to look like the pips on the surface, and it can begin with a white coating, making it look like a slightly unripe strawberry. The coating then sheds, leaving the tongue appearing bright red.
It might sound like a cute name but a strawberry tongue should always be taken seriously. First, it could indicate scarlet fever , which is caused by the bacterium streptococcus pyogenes . It’s highly contagious but treatable with antibiotics.
Without treatment, howe.