foodha for thought – menuism blog

For years, we thought our taste buds knew only 4 different tastes:  Sweet, Sour, Salty and Bitter; however, recent research has re-brought to light a taste first identified in 1908 by Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, a Japanese scientist.  This taste is referred to as “umami” which translates to “yumminess” in Japanese.  Dr. Ikeda discovered that the particular taste of  umami is particular to dried seaweed and comes from glutamates, a type of amino acid which occur naturally in many foods, including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products.

Examples of foods that are naturally “umamic” include  everything from Parmesan cheese to nori, from clams to dried shitake mushrooms, from tuna to tomatoes, and so much more.  Simply, the taste of umami is described as savory, meaty and brothy; however, it’s a subtle taste that combines well with other flavors to give them more of a fullness and richness.  As a result of his discovery, Dr. Ikeda went on to create and introduce monosodium glutamate (MSG) as a seasoning in Japan to be used as “flavor enhancers” and is still used worldwide, including the  United States.

To learn more about umami, check out the Umami Information Center by clicking here!