What Is Umami?

From a young age, we're taught that humans can detect four basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. However, this isn’t entirely true. (Remember that old tongue map?) In reality, we can actually sense five distinct tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami.

What Is Umami?

Chances are, you encounter umami almost every day, yet it remains a bit of a mystery for many of us.

Umami is the most recently discovered and widely accepted of the basic tastes. It's present in many foods such as nightshades, cheese, and meats, but all umami-rich foods share one thing: They contain amino acids called glutamates, which are often added to food in the form of monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Umami's origins date back as far as the beginning of food itself. Yet, it wasn't until the 20th century that this distinct taste was officially recognized.

The term "umami" wasn’t coined until 1908, when Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda identified the presence of glutamic acid in foods that exhibited a particular savory characteristic. He named this taste "umami," which translates to "good flavor" in Japanese.

What Does Umami Taste Like?

Umami is the taste of savory, earthy, and meaty flavors. It's found in foods like meat broths, certain cheeses, miso, seaweed, and mushrooms. The flavor itself is subtle but leaves a lingering aftertaste. For some, it can trigger increased salivation or a sensation of furriness on the tongue.

Umami-Rich Foods

Examples of foods rich in umami include: miso, Parmesan cheese, kimchi, Vegemite, Roquefort cheese, dry-cured ham, shiitake mushrooms, anchovies, tomatoes, oysters, scallops, soy sauce, clams, corn, and potatoes.

Umami Recipes

Find the recipe: Parmesan-Roasted Tomatoes

"I love this side dish," says Angelia. "I pair it with fried eggs for breakfast. When serving it for dinner, I swap out just salt and pepper for Italian seasoning. It's so delicious!"

Get the recipe: Sicilian Spaghetti

"This simple recipe makes a fantastic base for adding your own twist," says home cook 2chefs. "I tossed in sliced mushrooms and sweet baby bell peppers with olive oil and a small dollop of unsalted butter, sautéed them, then added fresh garlic and anchovies."

Find the recipe: Chorizo Steamed Clams

"This turned out amazing," says reviewer Jack. "I didn’t have any chorizo, so I substituted with Andouille sausage, and it turned out even better than any clam dish I’ve ever had."