The Emerging Fifth Taste: Umami

We are all familiar with the four basic tastes: salt, sweet, bitter and sour. There is a fifth basic taste that has been part of Asian cultures called Umami, and it is gaining acceptance to the Western palate. Umami is almost undefinable, since it has no actual taste qualities of its own. It has been described as 'richness' or 'wholeness' that is sometimes associated with meatiness, but not necessarily derived from meat.

Well, what is it then, and does it really exist if it is the black hole of taste sensations.

Umami does exist, and is the fifth taste sensation. So, why did the French name a taste sensation using an Asian word? Because this is the one food related idea that wasn't developed by the French. It was discovered in 1907 by Kikunae Ikeda, who was looking to isolate this particular sensation. Translated, Umami means 'delicious flavor' in Japanese. Ikeda noted that the taste of dashi, Japanese soup base, had a slightly differnt characteristic than other flavors, and sought out to chemically isolate the source of the sensation.

He found it, and you have tasted it. It is found in aged products such as soy sauce, fermented fish sauce, roquefort bleu cheese and mushrooms. Ikeda, through a process of isolation and refinement, even bottled it. It is Monosodium Glutamate, the flavor enhancer.

MSG has a spotty reputation, most notably with MSG intolerant people who can suffer a myriad of unpleasant reactions when injested. It has also been linked to some neurological disorders because high concentrations of MSG can cross the blood brain barrier in some people where it is either not fully developed (as in children), or weakened (as in elderly). It is therefore associated with undesirable additives.

But the foundation of MSG, free glutamate, is where umami is derived. This is most likely why most people are not strict vegeterians, as glutamate is found in protein-rich food, and associated with meaty qualities.