Umami is the fifth basic taste, in addition to sweet, salty, sour and bitter.
This taste was discovered by a Japanese chemist and professor at the Japanese Imperial University Kikunae Ikeda way back in 1908.
The research that led to his discovery was the result of a feeling he had that the popular Japanese dish 'kombu dashi' had a taste that didn't exactly belong to the four known tastes.
This dish is a form of broth made of kelp, a type of seaweed. Finally, Ikeda was able to trace this unique taste to glutamate, an amino acid.
Now umami has been officially recognised by scientists around the world as the fifth basic taste.
What contributed to the official confirmation of umami as the fifth basic taste was the discovery, exactly 20 years ago, in 2002, that there are specific taste receptors in our taste buds that do respond to amino acids.
Amino acids are one of the building blocks of proteins in our body.
Glutamates are commonly found in a variety of food like mushrooms, ripe tomatoes, Chinese cabbage, spinach, cheeses, shrimp pastes, fish sauce, soy sauce, fish, shellfish, etc.
The umami taste is said to be best provided by monosodium glutamate or MSG, a more stable powdered form obtained by adding sodium. Arguably, the most famous commercial MSG-based product is the condiment Ajinomoto.
Source:
- The man who discovered umami / BBC
- Is MSG as bad as it’s made out to be? / BBC
- Umami: why the fifth taste is so important / The Guardian
- What is umami? / Ajinomoto
- Image credit: Ajinomoto
-----------------------------
This post is part of the blogging challenge in April every year, wherein bloggers put up one post a day, from A to Z, every day except Sundays.
I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z. I am also on A2Z April Challenge.
Suddenly this word has been coming up a lot. Of course, it popped up on a cooking show I like, so I'm not unfamiliar with it now. But it is a recent phenomena.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteActually, this other level of taste was recognised in western food circles long before 'umami' became the tag-word; it was referred to as the pungency of a dish, a level of depth in flavour.
I am one who sufferes badly the effects of MSG. It is unnecessary for obtaining umami, but became the short-cut to it and thus dominated food for much of the 60s and 70s and into the 80s. It is one of the key causes of the excessive salt intake of just about all of us on the planet. (Forgive my nutritionist's hat being donned here!!!) YAM xx
U=Ukraine
I am surprised. I have learned, when in high school, of course in Tamil, that there are 6 basic tastes. Sweet. Sour,salty,bitter,pungent,and astringent.
ReplyDeleteThe taste of mushrooms can be best described as a natural Umami flavour. Oh yes, MSG in large quantities IS harmful. But can that keep us away from the lipsmacking Indo-Chinese cuisine we Indians are so addicted to? Hmmm… :-/
ReplyDeleteI'm learning new things today...
ReplyDeleteI had no idea there was a fifth taste, so thanks for this.
Today's post: U Is For Unorthodox
Very interesting Pradeep. I'd not have know that otherwise.
ReplyDeleteHeard too much about MSG being harmful...even in noodles and Manchurian i think they use msg filled ajinomoto....not sure if right spelling...wasn't aware of the term umami.. learnt only today
ReplyDeleteVery scientific post! Very informative. MSG has a bad reputation but it does give a wonderful flavour to foods it is added to.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting. Makes sense but cool that someone made the discovery. Im allergic (very) to MSG unfortunate cuz there are many foods I love with MSG
ReplyDeleteU