It has always been the popular notion that we humans have four basic ‘tastes’ – sweet, sour, salty and bitter. But in the last ten years a silent ‘trend’ has gradually gathered pace and now it is becoming common knowledge that we have one more, a fifth ‘taste’ and this fifth taste is called Umami. Never heard of it? well read on…

When you look at those four tastes there seems to be one missing…it’s not salty, not bitter, definitely not sweet and not sour at all…it’s, well, savoury! Ever tried a piece of parmesan cheese? well compare that to a chunk of mild cheddar, notice the difference? That is Umami.  More examples of umami would be red wine, mushrooms and even truffles (those from the ground, not the chocolate shop).

Without even realising it people have been using their ‘fifth taste’ forever. So what is the difference between taste and flavor? Well, try this quick test with a flavored jelly bean. Put one in your mouth and chew it while holding your nose. You may taste a sweet sensation, but that’s it. Then, release your nose. When you do, the fullness of the jelly bean flavor will come rushing through, whether it be bubble-gum or lemon drop. This is because our olfactory senses are necessary for completing many of the flavors we experience. That’s not the case with the basic tastes, which are detected solely by the tongue.

The name umami was coined in Japan a century ago, when the taste (found in Eastern staples like seaweed) was first identified as unique.

Umami  is the feeling of gratification we get when we eat something; this is why so many people prefer a burger to an apple, or a steak to a piece of fish.  While umami is not a ‘fat’ it is the ingredient that makes the difference between a real yoghurt and a fat-free one. A gravy without stock is thin and watery…it has no umami.

So there it is. Go get your umami and taste the difference.