Umami.

What is it? An ingredient, a flavor, a seasoning, a spice? Or is it simply a taste?

Scientists have debated whether umami was a basic taste since Kikunae Ikeda first proposed its existence in 1908.

Ultimately, umami is a scientific term that describes the taste of glutamates and nucleotides. Or more specifically, the taste of monosodium glutamate Um.. what?

In layman’s terms, that means that umami is category of taste in food corresponding to the flavor of glutamates, especially monosodium glutamate, which occur naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products.

To make things easy, you can think of it as the fifth taste. Which means you have sweet, sour, salt, bitter, and… umami.

So umami is a taste?

That’s right.

The appreciation of taste starts with the taste receptors on the tongue aka taste buds. Taste buds are small sensory organs composed of several taste cells, which react to taste stimuli. With the activation of these taste cells, a message is transmitted to the brain via the nerves.

People taste umami through these taste receptors. Well, the taste receptors that typically respond to glutamates, anyways.

Since umami has its own receptors rather than arising out of a combination of the traditionally recognized taste receptors, scientists now consider umami to be a distinct taste.

What are glutamates?

Glutamates are amino acids, found in all protein-containing foods.

They are widely present in meat broths and fermented products and commonly added to some foods in the form of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and others.

When was umami discovered?

Umami was first scientifically identified in 1908 by Kikunae Ikeda, a professor of the Tokyo Imperial University. He found that glutamate was responsible for the palatability of the broth from kombu seaweed.He noticed that the taste of kombu dashi was distinct from sweet, sour, bitter, and salty and named it umami.

In 1985, the Umami International Symposium held in Hawaii determined umami was the scientific term for this fifth taste. In order for it to stand on its own, it had to meet certain criteria. Researchers proved that umami was not produced by any combination of other basic tastes, but was an independent taste. It also has its own specific receptor for its taste.

What does umami taste like?

Umami has a mild but lasting aftertaste associated with salivation and a sensation of furriness on the tongue, stimulating the throat, the roof and the back of the mouth. It can be described as a pleasant “brothy” or “meaty” taste with a long-lasting, mouthwatering and coating sensation over the tongue.

By itself, umami is not palatable, but it makes a great variety of foods pleasant, especially in the presence of a matching aroma. Like other basic tastes, umami is pleasant only within a relatively narrow concentration range.

The optimum umami taste depends also on the amount of salt, and at the same time, low-salt foods can maintain a satisfactory taste with the appropriate amount of umami.

Where can you find umami?

Many foods that may be consumed daily are naturally rich in umami components. Glutamate in the form of inosinate comes primarily from meats whereas guanylate comes primarily from vegetables. Mushrooms, especially dried shiitake, are sources of umami flavor from guanylate. Smoked, or

Generally, umami taste is common to foods that contain high levels of L-glutamate, IMP and GMP, most notably in fish, shellfish, cured meats, meat extracts, mushrooms, vegetables (e.g., ripe tomatoes,e, spinach, celery, etc.) or green tea, hydrolysed vegetable protein, and fermented and aged products involving bacterial or yeast cultures, such as cheeses, shrimp pastes, fish sauce, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and yeast extracts such as Vegemite and Marmitefermented fish are high in inosinate, and shellfish in adenylate.

What is umami sauce?

For over a centuries glutamate has been used in different ingredients that are specifically designed to infuse a dish with umami flavor. The vast majority of these ingredients came in the form of sauces.

Fermented fish sauces, which are rich in glutamate, were used widely in ancient Rome. Glutamate-rich fermented barley sauces were used in medieval Byzantine and Arab cuisine, and fermented fish sauces and soy sauces have histories going back to the third century in China.

What are examples of umami sauces?

Soy Sauce – Probably the most popular of umami sauces. It is kinda your “Intro to Umami” — very heavy in sodium making it easy to use.

Worcestershire Sauce – A common marinade type sauce that goes great on a steak.  A little known fact is that this sauce gets its umami flavor from anchovies!

Fish Sauce – This sauce is pretty much ubiquitous in Asia. Made from fermented fish, it’s not typically not a sauce that you eat on its own. However, it is great to cook with.

Oyster Sauce – This sauce is basically boiled oysters mixed with cornstarch and other stuff to thicken it.  It’s got a strong flavor so use it sparingly.

How does it relate to MSG?

The long debated seasoning that is basically pure umami.  Some people have a sensitivity to it that causes headaches and other adverse health affects, but after a lot of testing, most of these affects have not been able to be linked to MSG in any way.  In fact,  U.S. Food and Drug Administration has designated MSG as a safe ingredient, causing only  minor adverse events, such as headachesor nausea, in a very small percentage of consumers.

Does umami have health benefits?

Some population groups, such as the elderly, may benefit from umami taste because their taste and smell sensitivity is impaired by age and medication. The loss of taste and smell can contribute to poor nutrition, increasing their risk of disease. Some evidence exists to show umami not only stimulates appetite, but also may contribute to satiety.

Small Axe Peppers’ take on Umami Sauce

Queens 7 Hot Sauce is vitalized by a touch of fish sauce that spawns a deep umami gusto. Add the lingering jalapeño heat and you’ve got a hot sauce that will keep you thirsting for more.

With the fresh ingredients complimenting one another so smoothly, this locally-sourced hot sauce honors the eclectic and vibrant energy of Queen’s many ethnic neighborhoods in just one bottle.

or you can try….