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Umami Unlocked: Discovering Japan's Fifth Taste
If you ask most people to describe the taste of food they just put in their mouth, they will say it's sweet, salty, sour, or bitter. Most people don’t know about the fifth taste that originated from the Japanese food scene, umami. Discover the definition of umami and how science explains this robust taste. We’ll also teach you how to bring its savory flavors to your cooking with the help of common ingredients.
Understanding Umami: Japan's Fifth Taste
Umami is a term meaning “pleasant savory taste.” It originated in Japan and is a major component of the domestic cuisine, particularly in broths, soup stocks, and cooked meats. Pronounced “u-ma-mi,” it’s the fifth taste among the five basic tastes, which include salty, sweet, sour, and bitter. Umami often takes the form of monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer that brings savory flavors to cooked foods.
The scientific discovery of umami came in 1908, when a professor in Tokyo identified glutamate as the source of the savory flavor in kombu seaweed. Umami became the fifth taste due to its distinction from all of the four other basic tastes.
So, how do you know when you’ve tasted umami? Firstly, it has a mild but long-lasting aftertaste that causes your mouth to salivate and creates a sensation of furry-like coating on the tongue. Umami will also stimulate your throat and the back of your mouth.
The Science Behind Umami
Umami taste is perceived when special receptors in the tongue react to glutamates or nucleotides in food. Glutamic acid or glutamate, is a naturally occurring amino acid present in humans and animals where it helps in the chemical synthesis of proteins. You can find glutamate in different kinds of foods, including cured meats, mushrooms, tomatoes, green tea, salmon, anchovies, and cheese. It happens to be the most common source of umami.
When certain tongue receptors in your mouth come in contact with materials containing amino acid glutamate, you perceive a savory and delicious taste. Glutamate can be added to food in the form of sodium salt known as monosodium glutamate (MSG). Hence, MSG is often used as a flavor enhancer.
Nucleotide is another compound associated with the taste of umami when placed on the tongue. It does not cause umami on its own but rather enhances the taste of glutamates. This is a very important property that culinary professionals have utilized to the fullest. The two types of nucleotides that amplify umami the most are inosinate and guanylate. You can find them in foods like nori seaweed, katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), tuna, and cod roe.
Historical Origins of Umami in Japanese Cooking
In the early 1900s, Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, a Japanese chemist who worked as a professor at the Tokyo Imperial University, developed an interest in soup, particularly one containing a broth made from kombu seaweed. He noticed that the taste of kombu dashi was not sweet, sour, salty, or bitter, but something entirely different. Dr. Ikeda decided to name this newly discovered fifth taste umami. He went on to carry out years of research and laboratory work in a bid to isolate the unique molecules responsible for the taste.
In 1908, the professor finally discovered that the glutamate in kombu seaweed was the compound that produced umami. He wrote a paper in 1909, outlining his findings and suggesting that this taste be included as a new member of the basic food tastes. He also officially named it “umami” in his paper.
In the next 100 years, scientists all over the world looked into Dr. Ikeda’s findings. They discovered that umami used unique receptors and channels to transport information from the mouth to the brain. Modern scientists also discovered that combining glutamate-rich food with ingredients containing nucleotides (inosinate or guanylate) created increased levels of umami.
Dr. Kikunae Ikeda would go on to invent a MSG powder product called Ajinomoto. It remains the most popular umami-rich seasoning in the world today. Over the decades, people in the culinary world have developed new ways to enhance umami flavors in dishes. Common methods include the addition of naturally fermented foods and the use of aged meats or cheese.
Key Ingredients That Define Umami
To help you get even more familiar with this natural taste, we’ve curated a list of the key ingredients in Japanese cooking that are rich in umami. Enjoy!
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Miso: This fermented soybean paste adds umami goodness to a wide variety of traditional Japanese dishes. It’s often mixed in sauces and spreads or as a key element in pickled vegetables, meats, and seafood. When combined with dashi soup stock, it creates the world-famous miso soup.
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Soy sauce: This liquid condiment is made from the fermentation of soybeans. Soy sauce offers an easy way to add umami to any food. It’s often used to marinate or pickle meats and vegetables.
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Bonito flakes: Also known as katsuobushi, this ingredient is made from dried, smoked, and fermented skipjack tuna. It’s a major component of dashi and can be used as seasoning or topping for noodles and rice.
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Shiitake mushrooms: This is Japan’s most popular type of edible mushroom. The dried version is used as an ingredient in boiled dishes and dashi, while fresh shiitake is used for deep-fried dishes.
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Kombu seaweed: Kombu is an edible kelp plant used to create the seaweed that led to the discovery of umami. It serves as a flavorful soup thickener and is a core dashi ingredient.
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Aged cheese: Certain types of cheese, such as parmesan, cheddar, and Swiss, become packed with umami after they age.
Umami in Modern Japanese Dishes.
Many of the ingredients mentioned above are used to incorporate umami into modern Japanese dishes. One simple method is to make dashi with katsuobushi or kombu and use it as the base for soups and stews. Familiar dishes such as sushi feature the use of nori seaweed as a wrapper for rice and seafood.
Many of these dishes also use a lot of fermented products like miso and soy sauce as seasoning. Ramen and other types of noodles can have umami incorporated via their soup base or with the addition of toppings such as seaweed and shiitake mushrooms.
Umami Beyond Meat: Vegetarian Sources
One of the best aspects of umami is that despite its meaty flavor, you can still find countless plant-based sources of the taste. This versatile feature allows you to use healthy ingredients to enhance vegetarian and vegan dishes. The following are some of the best vegetarian sources of umami to add to your pantry: tomato, seaweed (nori or kombu), green peas, garlic, onion, shiitake mushroom, and MSG.
Cooking Techniques to Enhance Umami
Using umami in your cooking requires some level of skill to avoid going over the top with it or producing underwhelming results. To get the best out of your time in the kitchen, feel free to follow these practical cooking tips:
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Cooking methods that involve dry heat, such as grilling, sautéing, or roasting, can enhance the natural umami flavor of an ingredient.
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Slow cooking methods such as simmering, braising, or stewing also help to maximize umami.
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You can rehydrate dried umami-packed ingredients like mushrooms, bonito flakes, and seaweed by soaking them in water, then using the liquid as an ingredient in sauces and broths.
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Umami allows you to reduce the amount of salt in your cooking without sacrificing flavor.
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If you find that you’ve created an untamed umami bomb by accident, you can always counterbalance the taste with acidic ingredients like vinegar or lemon juice. You can also try diluting the dish.
The Health Benefits of Umami
The taste of umami helps to season vegetables, making them more appealing to people who would otherwise not care for them. Hence, umami is great for people who need to eat more healthily. Even vegetarian dishes get a tasty boost with the help of this natural flavor. The presence of umami in food allows you to use less salt, which is a great way to reduce sodium intake. You also don’t need to add fat or sugar to enhance the meal. Furthermore, since umami is a derivative of free amino acids and nucleotides, it serves as a signal that a meal contains protein, which is an essential nutrient.
Experiencing Umami: A Guide for Food Enthusiasts
If you want to experience umami more often, you would need to update your cooking techniques. We recommend that you learn to cook food slowly and bring out the tasty flavors. You may also have to update your broth and soup simmering skills, especially when it comes to using dashi stock, soy sauce, and shiitake mushrooms. Use them to make simple umami-rich foods like traditional Japanese rice and noodle dishes, and you will instantly tell the difference. You can also enjoy these umami foods in Asian noodle shops and restaurants or buy them as bento from supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan.
Conclusion:
Umami is the cornerstone of Japanese cuisine, setting it apart from those of other countries. Adding it to any food will greatly improve its appeal, richness, and fullness. Explore and appreciate this profound taste in your cooking and dining experiences whenever you get the chance.
Besides savory dishes, Japan is also known for its sweet treats. You can explore this side of the country’s food culture by getting a Bokksu Snack Box Subscription today. We’ll send you a box of snacks and sweets from Japan every month.
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