Umami: the savoury taste
Also searched as: umami, savoury, glutamate, fifth taste, depth of flavour
In short: Umami is the fifth basic taste: savoury and round. It comes from and gets strong when two partners come together.
Like a duet: glutamate sings decently alone, but together with its partner it fills the whole hall.
Simplified model
What happens
The tongue has its own sensors for glutamate, a building block of protein. It is released when protein ages, ferments or cooks for a long time: in parmesan, tomatoes, mushrooms, soy sauce. A second substance from meat, fish or dried mushrooms changes the sensor so that it responds much more strongly. When both come together, it tastes many times more savoury.
Why it matters
Explains why parmesan on tomato sauce, anchovies in a braise or mushrooms in a broth add so much depth without tasting of themselves.
Rules of thumb
- If a dish lacks depth rather than salt: a little parmesan, tomato purée, soy sauce or anchovy.
- Combine two umami sources, such as tomato with meat or mushrooms with cheese.
- Fry tomato purée briefly; that boosts its aroma.
Levers
In practice
Sauces
A teaspoon of soy sauce or a piece of parmesan rind in the sauce makes it rounder.
Meat
Meat brings the partner substance: that is why tomato goes so well with minced meat.
- America’s Test Kitchen: The science of umami
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004)