Umami: Fifth Flavor Given Number-One Priority

Umami means “deliciousness” in Japanese and is the name Professor Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo University gave to what scientists have dubbed "the fifth flavor."

The fifth flavor is commonly found in monosodium glutamate, or MSG. Although the popularity of MSG sank in the United States when it was found to cause headaches, it has never ceased to be a staple ingredient in Asian cuisine. Studies have shown that moderate amounts are safe. The body actually produces glutamate, MSG’s cousin, naturally.

But it is not only Asian food that contains umami. It can be found, for example, in chicken soup, parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce and mushrooms.

Though the original four flavors of sweet, salt, sour, and bitter were identified in ancient Greece, umami (pronounced oo-mah-mee) was not officially recognized until 1908, although some gastronomists were talking about it in the late 1800s.

Now chefs are making “umami-bombs” or “u-bombs,” dishes exploding with umami.

One motive for such experimentation is that it may provide a way to lower the sodium content of food without sacrificing taste, an issue of increasing importance to a nation troubled by weight gain and its associated problems.

Some nutritionists think it could both counteract the decline in taste that occurs with aging, and improve the diets of children, who tend to be picky eaters.

"No food is nutritious unless that food is eaten, and no food is eaten unless it tastes good," Chicago nutritionist Jacqueline Marcus said. "And umami makes food taste good."

The Wall Street Journal has an in-depth article on the fifth taste, how Ikeda identified it, and how modern chefs and food companies are trying to figure out how to use the taste to their advantage. Umami is tasted in parmesan cheese and anchovies, among other foods. It is also known as monosodium glutamate, or MSG, which has a bad rap in America but is widely used in Asia with no ill effects.

National Public Radio’s Morning Edition also covered umami’s discovery, but in another part of the world: Paris. Chef Auguste Escoffier served meals with this fifth taste in his exclusive restaurant. Read a book excerpt that describes haute cuisine in the late 1800s and how Escoffier started a new trend. Instead of beautifully crafted but cold and largely inedible buffets full of food sculptures, he served hot dishes one at a time in multiple courses, a dining style that was Russian in origin.

A Washington Post columnist also wrote about the history of umami and where to find it in foods. Robert L. Wolke, a food science author, explains that humans have been using umami for thousands of years in the form of fish sauce.

Glutamate is found in many foods, and human bodies actually produce it. Breast milk, in particular, naturally has a high amount of glutamate, according to the International Glutamate Information Service, which comprises organizations around the world dedicated to educating people about the substance.

Test your knowledge of umami with this quiz, prepared by the David and Anna Kasabian, authors of “The Fifth Taste: Cooking with Umami.”

As described by The Wall Street Journal, the mushroom industry is advertising umami and its presence in mushrooms. Mushrooms “meaty” flavor, attributable to glutamate, and their texture “explains why they so successfully stand in for meat in vegetarian dishes,” according to the council’s site.

Food specialists are developing dishes rich in umami in an effort to lower the public’s salt intake. Sodium is an issue of increasing importance, and U.S. health advocates are calling on the nation’s top food regulatory agency to limit how much of the condiment is used by restaurants and manufacturers.