The four basic tastes of food were sweet, sour, bitter and salty until 2002 when scientists discovered a fifth taste. This fifth taste is “umami.” The taste has three distinct properties, and they are the following: umami makes the mouth water, it remains in the mouth longer than other tastes, and it spreads across the tongue. Many international recipes contain umami.

What Is Umami?

​Umami is a flavor, and the Japanese word “umami” aptly describes it. This word means pleasant, savory taste, and the chemist who discovered it, Kikunae Ikeda, wanted to know why it tasted so good. In his research, he found that the amino acid, glutamate, was responsible for the delectable taste, and it became a deeply satisfying substance that causes the flavors of other ingredients to stand out.

​What Is Umami Flavor?

​Umami flavor can be described in the following manner:

When people eat foods that are high in glutamate, it creates a particular taste sensation, and this goes by the name “umami.” It adds something extra to the food, and this “something extra” creates a taste that is incredibly satisfying and savory. The sensation you experience when you consume a perfectly ripe tomato or well-aged cheese is what is meant by the term “umami.”

​What Does Umami Mean?

The word “umami,” in literal translation, means a “pleasant, savory taste.” It is the essential 5th taste, and was identified as a taste receptor in the human tongue in 2002. 

​What Does Umami Taste Like?

It’s challenging to describe the taste of umami. You cannot say that it is sweet, and you cannot say that it is salty. It requires more than one word to capture the essence of umami. People describe its texture when they attempt to describe the taste, and it often comes out as savory, deep and broth-like.

​Imagine that you have taken a mouthful of something you consider to be warm and comforting. It provides the feeling you seek when you eat your favorite comfort foods, and it feels like you have been given a big hug. These foods are very rich and make you want to continue to consume them. This, in essence, is umami. 

​A food that has a good dose of umami makes people feel as if the flavors remain in their mouths for a longer time than other flavors. It feels as if the tongue is coated with butter and causes other flavors to taste even better than they already do.

Of course, at KEWPIE, our Japanese mayo features a distinctive umami flavor as a direct result of using egg yolks and quality ingredients. 

​Which Foods Contain Umami?

Many foods that you may not be used to eating contain umami, but you must not allow that to prevent you from experiencing what umami flavor is. Not surprisingly, many Japanese dishes contain umami. For example, seaweed and miso have healthy doses of umami. Cheeses, such as Roquefort, Gruyere and Parmesan, are filled with umami. All it takes is a little sprinkling of one of these cheeses, and your food turns into a masterpiece that makes your mouth water.

​The mushroom has loads of umami, and these include truffles, porcini and shiitake. When these mushrooms are dried, the flavor becomes even more concentrated.

​Tomatoes create delectable sauces and stews, and that is because of the umami concentration. Cooking tomatoes causes the umami flavor to come out even more. For this reason, chefs use tomato paste to bring out the flavor in their foods.

​Umami is found in beverages also. Matcha green tea contains a healthy dose of umami. The umami flavor is not so obvious, but it has a depth that tastes very satisfying for all palettes. This subtle flavor lingers in the mouth and is the reason that you feel so calm while you are drinking it.

​Find recipes for umami-oriented dishes on the recipes section of our website today!