Umami is considered the fifth basic taste, after sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. It is described as a pleasant, savory flavor and is often called the “fifth taste.” So what exactly does umami taste like? Here’s a quick overview of the unique flavor profile of umami.
What is Umami?
The term “umami” comes from the Japanese word meaning “pleasant savory taste.” It was identified as a distinct taste in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda while he was studying the tangy flavor of seaweed broth. He isolated glutamate as the source of this savory taste, which he named umami.
Glutamate is an amino acid that occurs naturally in many foods like meat, fish, vegetables, and dairy products. When glutamate binds to certain receptors on our taste buds, it produces the rich, savory flavor known as umami.
In addition to glutamate, ribonucleotides like inosinate and guanylate can enhance the umami taste. When foods containing glutamate are combined with ingredients containing ribonucleotides, they produce an even more intense umami flavor through a synergistic effect.
Characteristics of Umami Flavor
Describing taste sensations can be difficult, but here are some key characteristics that define the flavor profile of umami:
- Savory – The most dominant feature is a pleasant savory flavor.
- Brothy – Often described as a meaty or broth-like taste.
- Mouthfeel – Produces a thick, rich, and velvety mouthfeel.
- Tongue-coating – Leaves a long-lasting, coating sensation on the tongue.
- Round – Well-rounded and not overwhelmingly salty like pure MSG.
- Subtle – More subtle than the basic tastes but adds depth of flavor.
- Addictive – Many people find the flavor very craveable.
So while the umami taste is difficult to describe precisely, words like savory, rich, delicious, and addictive are commonly used.
Foods High in Umami
Many foods naturally contain high levels of glutamate, inosinate, and guanylate compounds that produce an umami flavor. Here are some ingredients that are particularly high in umami components:
| Food | Description |
|---|---|
| Seaweed | Dried seaweed is rich in natural MSG giving it a strong umami flavor. |
| Tomatoes | Contain glutamates and enhancing ribonucleotides. |
| Mushrooms | Dried mushrooms especially have intense umami flavor. |
| Aged cheeses | As cheese ages, glutamate and ribonucleotide levels increase. |
| Soy sauce | Made from fermented soybeans rich in glutamates. |
| Fish sauce | The amino acids in fermented fish create an umami flavor. |
| Beef | Contains high levels of inosinate for umami flavor. |
| Chicken | Cook chicken meat, skin, bones for greatest umami flavor. |
Any food that has undergone aging, fermenting, curing, or ripening processes will develop increased levels of umami compounds over time. So ingredients like aged steak, cured ham, fermented vegetables, miso paste, anchovies, Parmesan cheese, and Worcestershire sauce can all provide an umami flavor boost.
Tips for Cooking with Umami
You can enhance umami flavor in your cooking by following these tips:
- Add ingredients rich in glutamates like tomatoes, mushrooms, cured meats.
- Use ingredients containing ribonucleotides like soy sauce, fish sauce, dried mushrooms.
- Roast, grill, sauté, or caramelize ingredients to develop umami flavors.
- Sauté mushrooms, onions, garlic to bring out umami.
- Deglaze pans with wine or broth to dissolve cooked on umami flavors.
- Use stocks made from roasted bones, seaweed, dried mushrooms.
- Marinate meats in umami-rich sauces like soy sauce.
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese, anchovies, or roasted garlic.
Combining ingredients high in glutamates and ribonucleotides will give your food an intense umami kick. But even cooking foods in ways that enhance their natural umami compounds can make dishes more savory and delicious.
Foods that Mimic Umami Flavor
While naturally umami-rich foods are best, there are some ingredients that mimic or enhance an umami flavor:
| Ingredient | Description |
|---|---|
| MSG | Monosodium glutamate is a purified umami seasoning. |
| Yeast extract | Autolyzed yeast contains glutamates giving umami taste. |
| Nutritional yeast | Dried yeast flakes have some umami flavor notes. |
| Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) | Vegetable proteins broken into amino acids. |
| Marmite / Vegemite | Spread made from yeast extract high in umami. |
| Liquid aminos | Soy sauces have similar umami enhancing properties. |
| Nut Cheese | Fermented nut-based cheeses develop umami flavors. |
While most of these can add an umami flavor, ingredients like purified MSG lack the nuance and balance of naturally umami-rich foods. But items like nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and yeast extract can be useful additions to plant-based dishes to achieve a more savory flavor.
Vegetables With Natural Umami Flavor
Many vegetables contain decent levels of glutamate, inosinate, and guanylate compounds. Here are some of the top umami vegetables:
- Tomatoes
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Sweet corn
- Sweet potatoes
- Green peas
- Broccoli
Cooking techniques like roasting, grilling, sautéing, or caramelizing will help bring out the natural umami flavors in vegetables. Dehydrating or concentrating vegetables also increases umami compounds.
Pairing vegetables with umami-enhancing ingredients like mushrooms, cheese, tomatoes, soy sauce, or roasted garlic can further boost the savory flavors.
Seaweed for Umami Flavor
Dried seaweed contains very high levels of natural glutamates, making it one of the most potent umami boosters. Just a small amount of nori, kombu, or wakame can enhance the flavor of broths, grains, beans, tofu, and vegetables.
Mushrooms for Meaty Umami Taste
Cooked mushrooms have a rich, savory flavor that mimics meat. Varieties like shiitake, oyster, cremini, and porcini are particularly high in umami compounds. Even small amounts add great flavor to veggie burgers, stews, sauces, and gravies.
Tofu, Soy Sauce, Miso for Umami
Fermented soybean products are full of natural MSG giving them an umami boost. Aged miso, soy sauce, and tempeh offer a similar mouth-coating savoriness. Marinating tofu in soy sauce infuses it with umami flavors.
Umami-Rich Vegan Pantry Staples
Stocking your kitchen with some umami-rich condiments and seasonings makes it easy to add savory flavor to plant-based dishes:
- Soy sauce
- Bragg Liquid Aminos
- Tamari
- Miso paste
- Dried shiitake mushrooms
- Dried seaweed
- Nutritional yeast
- Tomato paste
- Sundried tomatoes
- Coconut aminos
- Porcini mushroom powder
- Truffle salt
- Liquid smoke
- Smoked paprika
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce
A simple way to use these is by creating an umami flavor-bomb sauce or paste. Sauté mushrooms, garlic, and tomato paste then season generously with soy sauce, miso, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, and liquid smoke for an instant umami sauce.
Meat Substitutes With Added Umami
Many vegan meat replacement products aim to mimic the savory umami taste of real meat. Brands use ingredients like:
- Soy sauce
- Yeast extract
- Natural vegetable flavorings
- Synthetic MSG
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- Liquid smoke
While these mimic umami flavors, whole food ingredients provide better nutrition and balance. But meat substitutes can serve as an occasional convenience option for adding umami to vegan dishes if you don’t want to cook from scratch.
Best Umami Food Combinations
You can amplify umami flavors by pairing ingredients containing glutamates with ribonucleotide-rich foods. Try these classic combinations:
| Umami Ingredients | Examples |
|---|---|
| Tomatoes + Mushrooms | Pizza, pasta sauce |
| Parmesan + Mushrooms | Risotto |
| Soy Sauce + Sautéed Onions | Stir fry |
| Miso + Shiitake Mushrooms | Noodle soup |
| Anchovies + Garlic | Caesar salad dressing |
| Fish Sauce + Lime | Thai dishes |
You can come up with endless combinations by pairing umami-rich ingredients. This builds immense flavor in plant-based dishes.
Vegetarian and Vegan Substitutions
Replacing meat, fish, cheese, and eggs in vegetarian recipes can reduce some of the naturally occurring umami flavors. But you can compensate by adding plenty of umami-boosting ingredients.
For example, mushrooms and soy sauce can mimic the umami taste of beef. Miso and seaweed have notes similar to fish sauce. Nut cheeses fermented for a long time develop deep umami flavors like aged Parmesan. Nutritional yeast adds a savory cheesy flavor.
With the right substitutions and seasonings, it’s completely possible to make vegan dishes just as savory, rich, and satisfying as non-vegan versions.
Conclusion
Umami is the fifth basic taste that provides a savory, mouthwatering flavor. While difficult to describe precisely, it imparts a brothy, meaty, rich, and tongue-coating sensation that makes foods more craveable and delicious. Naturally occurring glutamate and ribonucleotides produce umami in foods like seaweed, mushrooms, cured meats, Parmesan, anchovies, and soy sauce.
You can enhance umami when cooking by combining ingredients high in glutamates and ribonucleotides, and cooking foods in ways that boost their natural umami. Stocking your pantry with umami-rich seasonings makes it easy to add savory flavor to plant-based dishes. Pairing the right substitutions can give vegetarian and vegan food all the savoriness and depth of non-vegan cuisine.
Understanding how to layer and build umami flavor opens up an entire new world of mouthwatering possibilities in the kitchen!