Umami, the fifth taste
Beef is rich in umami
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Everyone is aware of the four common tastes of sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. But there's a fifth taste which is so subtle that we may not be aware of it or even know it exists.
The taste is "umami" (oo-MOM-ee). It is described as meaty and savory, or delicious. There is no English word for it.
"Umami" is derived from umai, the Japanese word for delicious. It was discovered by a Japanese scientist.
Stock made from kelp has long been an indispensable part of Japanese cuisine. A researcher at Tokyo Imperial University set out to identify the active ingredients in kelp which hold the key to its delicious taste.
In 1908, he extracted glutamate from kelp and discovered it was the main active ingredient and coined the term "umami" to describe its taste.
Several other active flavor-enhancing elements, including inosinate and guanylate, later were discovered in other plants.
These compounds are amino acids and occur naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables, and dairy products. Recently, umami receptors have been clearly identified, making umami a true fifth taste.
Umami is cultivated using the fermentation process. By adding salt to natural foods such as fish, beans, and rice, proteins are broken down into their constituent amino acids, and a condiment containing high quantities of glutamate is produced.
Chinese sauces are rich in umami. In the western world, cured products such as cheese and ham also are rich in umami.
Fermented seasonings add flavor to foods. Different types are found throughout the world. Tomatoes are the source of many sauces used in the western world including Worcester sauce, ketchup, and chili sauce.
According to the Umami Information Center on the web: "Tomatoes are one of the most widely produced vegetables on the planet and their umami taste is appreciated all over the world."
Because all three of the umami compounds occur in beef, the beef industry has latched onto umami as a way of promoting beef consumption.
The Kansas Beef Council is hosting a conference for facilitators of Agriculture in the Classroom, as well as master chefs, in which participants will learn firsthand the amazing effects of umami.
They will be treated to beef samples served with a variety of dipping sauces and accompaniments to demonstrate the effects of different flavor combinations.
The demonstration will show how a 50/50 mixture of two umami compounds can produce eight times as much flavor as either of the compounds alone.
Commercial monosodium glutamate, a food additive, was first manufactured and marketed as MSG in Japan. It was introduced to the United States in 1947 as Ac'cent, a flavor enhancer available in the spice section of grocery stores.
Modern commercial MSG is produced by fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses. It commonly is found in canned soups, beef and chicken stocks, snack foods, frozen dinners, fast foods, and instant meals.
Some health experts contend that umami is most healthful in its natural state, and that the MSG additive can trigger harmful reactions in some people.
So, to savor the full, natural flavor of umami: "Eat beef. It's what's for dinner."
