Who’s Umami?

Who’s Umami?

Many people grew up to know about the four tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. But did you know about the fifth taste?

It has always been there along with the other four, but most people still don’t know about this fifth one.

Most of us can identify something sweet (sugar), sour (lemon), bitter (coffee), and salty (salt). But, the fifth taste is more challenging to describe.

It may be because people don’t realize it is there even though they have had this taste for their entire lives.

Savory, otherwise referred to as umami, is the Japanese word meaning “essence of deliciousness.”

Umami is the taste of cooked meat or broth.

People will tell me that is salty to them.

No, not meat that is seasoned.

Is there another kind?

Of course, there is. Jerky without seasoning?

How about mushrooms?

That tastes like dirt.

No, after washing them.

Seaweed? Aged cheese? No, not salty. Without the salt.

How about this? Don’t gasp – the taste of glutamate? As in monosodium glutamate? Yes.

Okay, and before saying that causes all kinds of problems, consider this substance in tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and many other foods of MANY cuisines of the world. So why blame is on Chinese food? Just don’t.

People consume this substance as sure as they consume glucose in some form and sodium in some form.

You have likely consumed MSG – monosodium glutamate that is naturally occurring in many foods. Sometimes it is added to foods.

I know people who add it to their foods (like any other seasoning) because it adds flavor.

And people who swear that they react to MSG will eat foods that have it with zero reaction. They don’t know or realize it is there, and weirdly no response.

And foods without added MSG still have the umami taste.

Everyone has the five tastes sensations – whether they realize it or not. And umami is one of them.