They say it’s “fifth taste”. In combination with others, it strengthens the experience while eating

Umami as a taste was discovered relatively recently. We used to assign him only Asian cuisinebased on soy sauce. Today we know that the “fifth taste” is found in many dishes, including native, giving them depth and expressiveness.

The word “umami” comes from Japanese and means “a pleasant, fleshy taste”. It was first used by the Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda at the beginning of the 20th century. He studied the chemical composition of Dashi broth and discovered that its unique taste comes from sodium glutamate – a natural compound present in many food products.

Umami was considered the fifth basic taste, next to sweet, salty, sour and bitter. It is a deep, full, broth taste, which makes food more satisfying. Its main feature is the ability to strengthen the remaining flavors in dishes.

Umami is not as obvious as other flavors – It is not as easily felt as sugar sweetness or lemon acidity. They are described as gently salty, fleshy, brothcomplex and long staying on the palate. It is thanks to Umami that some dishes seem extremely appetizing and addictive.

This taste is often associated with protein -rich dishes, such as meat or ripening cheese, but it can also be found in many plant products. Although in itself Umami is difficult to isolate, it emphasizes all other flavors that make up the attractiveness of dishes.

Although for a long time the “fifth taste” was mainly attributed to Asian cuisine, today we know that we will find it in all dishes of the world. Umami occurs naturally in many food products, both animal and plant origin:

• fermented and ripening products: blue cheese, Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, miso, kimchi;
• meat and fish: beef, chicken, sardines, anchovies, tuna, dried fish;
• Mushrooms: dried shiitake, oyster mushrooms, chanterelles;
• vegetables and legumes: tomatoes (especially dried), peas, soy, broccoli;
• Broths and decoctions: Dashi, broth, vegetable decoction;
• Green tea and nuts.

Thanks to the presence of Umami, the dishes become more complete in taste, and their food gives more pleasure. Parmesan cheese contains the most, which is why sprinkling the dish with a small amount of it makes it more delicious.

Sources: Terazpoczy.pl