One of my grandmother's favorite things to cook was , 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 specialized membranes containing many different small bumps—or papillae—linked to our . 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. Technicolor tongues Tongues can turn a surprising range of colors. Take red tongues for instance.
A bright red, inflamed and swollen tongue is sometimes referred to as a . 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 , which is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes. It's but treatable with antibiotics.
Without treatment, however, can lead to complications like . Strawberry tongue can also indicate , a potentially serious inflammator.