The 5th taste that has been a mystery to the western world for a long time. It was discovered by Professor Kikunae Ikeda, a chemistry professor at Tokyo Imperial University, back in 1908. Umami even before the “formal” discovery has formed the basis of Asian cuisine for centuries.

The umami information center defines umami as “the taste of salts combining glutamate, inosinate or guanylate with the likes of sodium ions, such as monosodium glutamate, or potassium ions”. Those familiar with the term monosodium glutamate (MSG) may be aware of the negative connotations associated with it, due to it being used as a flavor enhancer for many commercially produced foods. For starters, MSG has been known to cause headaches and some neurological effects, however, these have not been fully scientifically proven. A comprehensive study to follow should you want to learn more is the ‘Chinese restaurant syndrome’.

Asian cuisine is based on balancing flavors by rounding them off with umami, hence the heavy use of ingredients such as seaweed, fish and shellfish, various kinds of mushrooms, etc. This leads to the cleaner, more fully flavorful characteristics of Asian cuisine, as opposed to the heavier, bolder favored western cuisine.

It’s important to note that the structure of umami is affected by the process of aging and fermenting, this develops flavor and the profile becomes more pronounced. Protein itself has no taste, the taste is only perceived when protein breaks down and the amino acid chain is dismantled. Take aged meat and Cheese for example; Milk is generally bland, umami develops when the cheese is made (i,e amino acids are broken down). Another example is soy sauce, which is made by fermenting soybeans. You get the picture…