The Magic of Umami: Understanding the Fifth Taste
| How to use savory depth to make your home cooking taste richer and more complex.
Not Just Salty or Savory
For centuries, we recognized four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. In 1908, Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda identified a fifth taste, which he named Umami (roughly translated as ‘pleasant savory taste’).
Umami is the taste of glutamate, an amino acid naturally found in protein-rich foods. It’s not a flavor itself; it’s a flavor enhancer that makes other tastes seem more complete, deep, and satisfying.
Natural Umami Bombs
You can easily incorporate umami into your dishes using common, naturally glutamate-rich ingredients:
- Aged Cheeses: Parmesan is one of the highest sources of natural glutamate.
- Fermented Foods: Soy sauce, miso paste, and fish sauce.
- Dried/Cured Items: Sun-dried tomatoes, cured meats, dried mushrooms (especially shiitake).
- Broth: Bone broth and dashi (Japanese stock).
Kitchen Tip
When a soup, sauce, or stew feels “flat,” try adding a small amount of miso paste or a splash of fish sauce. You won’t taste fish, but you will notice the dish tastes instantly richer and more complex. That’s the magic of umami at work.
