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Understanding Umami. Mastering the Fifth Taste.
By: Admin On: 19 January 2025
Boosting flavour with umami. In this article, we explore the concept of umami: what it is, where we can find it and how to use it to make our cooking more magical.
Umami is no longer a strange word that is kept safely within the confines of the professional kitchen. Most of us understand that we have a fifth taste and that it possibly has something to do with savouriness. Or maybe roasted meat. Beyond that, it gets a little hazy.
In this article, we explore the concept of umami: what it is, where we can find it, and, most importantly, how to use it to make our cooking more magical.
What is Umami?
Umami is often called the fifth taste, alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. This savoury flavour is known for its capacity to add depth and richness to dishes, with complex layers of taste that enhance the overall eating experience.
You could be forgiven for associating umami with Japan, and it is likely that ingredients such as soy sauce and miso spring immediately to mind. Not only was the precise mechanism of umami discovered by a Japanese chemist, but Japanese cooks are also masters in the art of harnessing flavour.
Yet (albeit unwittingly) umami has been in the foreground of cuisines around the world for centuries. Many of our best-known dishes have endured because of their umami qualities. That winning combo of tomato and cheese that is pizza? A rich beef ragu? Yeap; all umami.
What does umami taste like?
Umami has a deeply savoury flavour but its effects run far deeper than just that. With receptors across the whole tongue, it literally floods the mouth with flavour that lingers for longer.
The presence of umami makes the mouth water, boosting the production of saliva. Which in turn not only kicks the body into hunger mode but also amplifies the sensation of taste and increases our perception of flavour.
Understanding Taste and Flavour
To understand umami and how to use it to our best advantage, we first need to get to grips with the basics of how we taste food. Although the words taste and flavour are often used interchangeably, they are in fact two very different mechanisms.
The sense of taste
Taste is one of the five senses (six if you want to get esoteric). Our senses are exactly that; they are what we use to help us make sense of our world and our surroundings. Up there with sight, sound and touch, taste and smell are pretty important. This goes a long way towards explaining why food is such a big deal.
The mechanism of taste begins with our taste buds, which are little sensory organs located primarily on our tongue. Each taste bud contains a cluster of taste receptor cells that can detect the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and, of course, umami.
When we eat, molecules from food dissolve in our saliva, which then come into contact with the taste receptor cells. These cells send signals through a network of nerves to the brain, which processes these signals and interprets them as one of these five specific tastes.
The nuance of flavour
If food were about just five tastes, it would all get pretty boring, pretty quickly. Thankfully it isn't and that's where flavour comes into play.
Flavour also relies on one of our five senses. This time, it is smell.
When aromas from food enter the nasal cavity as we chew, they combine with the taste information to create the complex sensation we recognize as flavour. This cooperation between taste and smell is what gives food its full-bodied profile, highlighting why fresh ingredients and their natural aromas are vital in cooking.
The number and diversity of flavour molecules found in nature is truly staggering. A peach, for instance, is clearly different from an apple, yet even peaches from the same tree will each contain a unique set of flavour compounds. The overall taste of peach will always be peach, yet the nuances can vary wildly.
An ingredient like vanilla is infused with hundreds of aroma compounds, with vanillin being the most prominent one responsible for its sweet and creamy essence. Similarly, a single tomato contains a diverse array of volatile compounds that contribute to its savoury, umami-rich flavour.
How Does Umami Work
Which brings us back to umami.
The primary chemical compounds responsible for the umami taste are glutamate, inosinate, and guanylate.
Glutamate, an amino acid, is the most well-known and abundant source. It is commonly found in protein-rich foods and fermented products.
Inosinate (primarily found in meat and fish) and guanylate (found in mushrooms and various plant-based items) are nucleotides that enhance the umami taste when combined with glutamate.
Umami synergy
The concept of umami synergy involves the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate. Their presence amplifies the umami effects of glutamate. In fact, it can enhance up to a multiplication of about eight.
This is seen within single ingredients that contain one of the nucleotides as well as glutamate. You can also take advantage of it in cooking with clever use of multiple ingredients.
Umami and your taste buds
Specialized receptors on the tongue, specifically designed to detect umami compounds like glutamate, inosinate, and guanylate, trigger the perception of this savoury taste. These receptors send signals to the brain, which interprets the unique flavour profile of umami, distinguishing it from the other four basic tastes.
Umami taste receptors are widely spread across the whole tongue, so the experience of this taste fills the whole mouth.
What Foods Are Full of Umami?
Fermented and Aged Foods
Aged and fermented foods are particularly rich sources of umami.
Aged Cheeses
Many cheeses are good sources of glutamate and, generally speaking, the longer the ageing process, the higher the concentration.
Parmesan is, of course, king of the umami cheeses, and comes near the top of the list of umami-rich ingredients in terms of glutamate content.
Blue cheeses such as Roquefort and Stilton also rate highly on the umami scale.
Dried Tomatoes
Dried tomatoes are up there with parmesan in terms of providing an umami flavour bomb. A high concentration of glutamate is enhanced by the amino acid guanylate, making this ingredient the perfect example of umami synergy.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce, a staple in many Asian cuisines, is packed with umami due to its fermentation process, which concentrates the levels of glutamate and enhances its savoury depth. As with cheese, the longer it is aged, the greater the likelihood of higher concentrations of glutamate.
Miso
Miso, a fermented soybean paste commonly used in Japanese cooking, achieves its umami-rich profile through the fermentation process, which increases the concentration of glutamate and other savoury compounds.
Kimchi
Kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish made of fermented vegetables, is another great source of umami. The fermentation process breaks down proteins and carbohydrates into smaller compounds, including glutamate, which contributes to its strong savoury taste.
Fish Sauce
Another popular ingredient in Asian cooking, fish sauce is made from fermenting fish with salt. This process creates a high concentration of glutamate and other umami-rich compounds, giving dishes a distinctive depth of flavour.
Cured meats
Cured meats, especially Parma ham, obtain their robust umami flavour during the curing process which breaks down proteins into glutamate and other savoury compounds, enhancing their rich taste profile.
Green tea
Green tea, particularly varieties like matcha, contains a significant amount of glutamate.
Natural Food Sources of Umami
Foods do not have to be aged or fermented for umami to be present. Many natural ingredients are also rich sources.
Vegetables
Tomatoes and mushrooms are perhaps the best-known vegetable sources of umami. Seaweed is also a particularly rich source. Yet many other plant foods are rich in the compounds that trigger the umami taste receptors.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are not as rich in glutamate as seaweed or shitake mushrooms, but they are the most accessible in terms of everyday ingredients and universal scope. That said, their glutamate content far exceeds that of other vegetable sources.
As previously mentioned, when tomatoes are cooked or sun-dried, their glutamate levels become more concentrated.
Seaweed
Kombu is celebrated for its exceptionally high levels of glutamate. Nori may come in a little lower, yet it contains both inosinate and guanylate for a significant umami boost.
Mushrooms
Dried shitake mushrooms are one of the key umami ingredients, with their impressive glutamate levels boosted by the presence of guanylate. Other mushrooms, including our everyday varieties, and truffles also provide a decent hit of umami.
Other umami vegetable sources
Perhaps surprisingly, green peas and sweetcorn contain notable amounts of glutamate. Broccoli, garlic and (even more surprisingly) potatoes are also up there. Asparagus is also worth a mention.
Walnuts are perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in terms of umami ingredients.
Meat
When we think of umami, meat is often the first thing that springs to mind. After all isn't that the essence of umami, that roasted meat savouriness? Meat itself is not especially high in glutamate, yet as it also contains high levels of inosinate, its power is amplified.
Chicken
Chicken is the richest meat source of both glutamate and inosinate. If you think about the universal appeal of roast chicken, and its ability to make you salivate at the mere thought of it, that makes a lot of sense. It also explains why chicken stock is a chef's favourite ingredient.
Pork
Pork has fairly low levels of glutamate but it may come as a surprise to know that it has almost triple the inosinate levels of beef. Which makes it a real contender in the umami stakes.
Beef
It's a real surprise to see beef at the bottom but it still contains enough inosinate to give it enough of a umami boost to be relevant.
Seafood
Fish and shellfish are notable sources of umami. Many shellfish are naturally high in glutamate, and often inosinate. Whilst most varieties of fish are not especially high in glutamate (although most are higher than meat) they often make up for it with inosinate content. Oily fish tend to rank consistently high. As with other foods, dried fish can be especially high in umami.
Scallops
Scallops are one of the highest shellfish in terms of glutamate. This shows their appeal has as much to do with flavour as their butter-soft flesh.
Prawns
Prawns contain slightly less glutamate than scallops yet the umami is boosted by the presence of inosinate. Think about the experience of a full-flavoured bisque or a pile of shell-on prawns.
Mussels
Mussels are another excellent source of umami, with relatively high levels of glutamate.
Anchovies
Raw anchovies do not rate especially high in glutamate yet when dried and packed in salt or oil they become one of the best umami flavour-bombs out there. And it is not just to do with salt. A dried anchovy contains about twice the glutamate content of Parma ham.
Mackerel
Mackerel can have really high levels of inosinate to boost its meagre glutamate content. Sardines are also great sources of umami in comparison to many other fish.
Cooking with Umami
All cooking is a carefully crafted balance of the five tastes, accentuated by the millions of different flavour compounds present in the ingredients we use.
Knowing how to harness and balance umami is fast becoming a core cooking skill. Not only with its rich savoury taste and full mouthfeel but in its ability to open up the tastebuds and amplify flavour. Knowledge and the carefully considered application of umami synergy can open up new ways to bring ingredients to the fore and elevate your dishes.
Techniques to enhance umami flavour
One of the key techniques to enhance umami flavour is through slow cooking. This method allows flavours to meld and concentrate, bringing the savoury elements to the forefront. For instance, simmering a stew or sauce over a long period encourages the breakdown of complex proteins and the release of glutamates, enhancing the umami taste.
Another effective approach is roasting or browning, which adds depth and a rich umami punch. Roasting vegetables like tomatoes or mushrooms develops their natural sugars and umami compounds, intensifying their flavour profile.
Incorporating umami-rich ingredients as seasoning agents can also significantly boost the overall taste. For example, adding a splash of soy sauce or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese to your dishes can introduce an instantaneous umami lift.
Fermentation is yet another technique, as it concentrates umami compounds by breaking down proteins. Try fermenting vegetables or using fermented products like miso or kimchi to give your dishes a complex, savoury character.
Using well-flavoured stock in your cooking is like having a magic trick up your sleeve. Chicken stock is the best, but if you don't want to include meat then a well-made vegetable stock can be pretty powerful. Whether your stock is vegetable or chicken, making it with umami-rich ingredients can give it a lot more depth of flavour; try adding whole tomatoes and mushrooms.
Lastly, combining ingredients rich in umami can create a harmonious and savoury synergy. For example, pairing tomatoes with mushrooms and Parmesan cheese can amplify the umami effect, resulting in a deeply satisfying flavour sensation.
Using Umami Ingredients
All of the ingredients outlined above will bring an umami boost to your cooking. The more you practice, and appreciate how the synergy works, the better you will become at using the fifth taste to accentuate your dishes. It will also help you to understand how the rest of the puzzle fits together and to really begin to understand how taste and flavour work.
Classic umami dishes
Yet there is no better way to venture out on the path of understanding than to study the masters. Here are just a few classic dishes that are perfect examples of using umami to great effect.
Spaghetti Bolognese
This classic Italian dish combines slow-cooked ground meat with tomatoes and herbs, often finished with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, making it the perfect example of umami mastery.
Ramen
A Japanese noodle soup that features a rich dashi broth infused with soy sauce or miso, often topped with ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, seaweed, and boiled eggs to elevate the umami profile.
Beef Bourguignon
A French stew that slow-cooks beef with red wine, mushrooms, and bacon, resulting in a hearty umami-packed dish.
Pizza Margherita
With its base of tomato sauce and a topping of fresh mozzarella, the classic pizza style highlights the umami flavours found in both tomato and cheese.
Mushroom Risotto
The creamy Italian rice dish is enhanced with the earthiness of mushrooms, and the tang of parmesan, and sometimes finished with truffle oil, is known for its intense umami characteristics.
Moules Marinières
This traditional French dish features mussels cooked in white wine, garlic, and parsley. The natural umami of the mussels is further enhanced by the aromatic broth, offering a savoury experience.
Cheese Fondue
Originating from Switzerland, this dish blends various cheeses with garlic and white wine, resulting in a rich, gooey mixture that perfectly illustrates umami.
The list above is by no means exhaustive, and not especially awe-inspiring, yet it does highlight how umami shows up in surprising places.
The umami flavour bomb
Whilst harnessing the subtle elements of umami may take you some time to master, there are sure-fire ways to use umami-rich ingredients to elevate flavours. Here are a few of our favourite ways to make use of those umami flavour bombs.
Using tomatoes
- Tomato Paste: Add a spoonful of tomato paste to sauces, soups, or stews to intensify the umami profile. The concentrated nature of the paste offers a robust depth of flavour with minimal effort.
- Sundried Tomatoes: Incorporate chopped sundried tomatoes into pasta dishes, salads and sauces. Their intense, tangy taste adds a rich layer to any dish.
- Roasted Tomatoes: Roast tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, and herbs; their concentrated flavour becomes a delicious addition to sandwiches, or they can be blended into a savoury tomato sauce.
- Tomato Powder: Sprinkle tomato powder over snacks, popcorn, or savoury pastries for a quick boost. It's also great for seasoning meat or adding to spice rubs.
- Tomato Sauce: Use as a base for pizzas or pasta dishes to provide a savoury foundation that complements other umami ingredients like cheese and mushrooms.
Find out more about using tomato in everyday cooking in our article passata vs tomato paste
Using Parmesan
- Grated Parmesan: Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan over soups, salads, or pasta to instantly enhance the umami profile of the dish. Its nutty and salty characteristics add complexity and richness.
- Parmesan Rind: Don't discard the rind! Add it to simmering soups, sauces, or stews to infuse them with a deep flavour. Simply remove the rind before serving for a subtle yet impactful taste boost.
- Parmesan Crisps: Bake small piles of grated Parmesan until golden to create crispy, savoury snacks. These can be used as toppings for soups and salads or enjoyed on their own.
- Parmesan Butter: Blend softened butter with grated Parmesan and herbs to create a spread that's perfect for boosting the flavour of bread, roasted vegetables, or grilled meats.
- Shaved Parmesan: Use a vegetable peeler to create thin shavings of Parmesan that can be added to salads, pasta, or risotto, providing a burst of flavour with each bite.
Using Parma ham
- Wrapped Asparagus or Melon: Roll slices of Parma ham around asparagus stalks or melon slices for a savoury-sweet snack or appetizer, adding depth and contrast.
- Pizza Topping: Lay thin slices of Parma ham on top of a freshly baked pizza to enhance its flavour. The ham's rich umami profile pairs beautifully with ingredients like mozzarella, tomatoes, and rocket.
- Stuffed Chicken or Pork: Use Parma ham to wrap chicken breasts or pork tenderloins before grilling or baking. This locks in moisture and infuses the meat with a rich savoury taste. It also works well with fish, particularly monkfish.
- Salad Garnish: Crisped Parma ham slices make a delicious and crunchy topping for salads, offering a contrast to fresh greens and a robust umami boost.
- Pasta Dishes: Incorporate sliced or diced Parma ham into creamy pasta sauces or carbonara for an extra layer of savoury flavour, perfectly complementing the dish's cheesy, creamy elements.
Using anchovies
- Pasta Sauce Base: Incorporate finely chopped anchovies into pasta sauces, such as puttanesca or aglio e olio, to add a deep flavour that enriches the dish.
- Salad Dressings: Blend anchovies into vinaigrettes or Caesar dressing for a savoury kick that enhances the overall taste experience.
- Topping for Toast: Spread anchovy fillets on toasted bread, accompanied by a smear of butter or cream cheese, for a simple yet flavorful snack.
- Pizza Topping: Lay a few anchovy fillets over the pizza before baking to elevate the flavour with their complexity.
- Stews and Soups: Melt anchovies into the base of stews or soups to intensify the complexity without overpowering other flavours.
- Compound Butter: Mix finely mashed anchovies with softened butter to create a compound butter ideal for melting over vegetables, steaks, or fish to add a savoury touch.
Using miso
- Soup Base: Incorporate miso into broths to create a rich base for soups like miso soup or ramen, enhancing depth and complexity.
- Glazes and Marinades: Mix miso with ingredients like soy sauce, mirin, or honey to craft flavorful glazes or marinades for meats, tofu, or vegetables before grilling or roasting.
- Salad Dressings: Whisk miso into vinaigrettes or creamy dressings for a savoury undertone that enriches salads with umami goodness.
- Butter Enrichment: Blend miso into softened butter, creating a flavourful spread that can be used on bread or melted over cooked vegetables and steaks.
- Stir-Fry Enhancement: Add a spoonful of miso to stir-fry dishes to boost umami and create a more satisfying flavour profile without overwhelming other ingredients.
- Noodle Dishes: Stir miso into sauces for noodles to create a savoury backbone, balancing out other flavours and adding depth.
Our white miso paste is also organic.
Using stock
- Soup and Stew Base: Use stock as the foundation for soups and stews to infuse a deep, savoury flavour that elevates the entire dish.
- Cooking Grains: Replace water with stock when cooking grains like rice, quinoa, or barley. This adds a rich, savoury dimension to the grains, enhancing their natural flavours.
- Pan Sauce: Deglaze a pan with stock after searing meat to craft a flavorful pan sauce. The stock helps release the fond and enriches the sauce with umami qualities.
- Vegetable Braising: Simmer vegetables in stock rather than water for a rich braise that adds depth to the vegetables' natural sweetness.
- Pasta Sauces: Incorporate stock into pasta sauces to create a more robust and savoury taste, helping to bind all the flavours seamlessly.
- Ramen and Noodle Broth: Use stock as the broth base for ramen and other noodle dishes, ensuring each bite is packed with a savoury flavour.
Using soy sauce
- Marinades: Incorporate soy sauce into marinades for meats, poultry, or tofu to infuse a savoury flavour that enhances the taste and tenderizes the proteins.
- Stir-Fry Seasoning: Drizzle soy sauce onto your stir-fry dishes to add depth and a salty-sweet kick that balances well with fresh vegetables.
- Dipping Sauce: Mix soy sauce with ingredients like garlic, ginger, and sesame oil for a simple yet flavorful dipping sauce that complements dumplings, sushi, and spring rolls.
- Soup Flavoring: Add a splash of soy sauce to soups or broths to enhance the savoury aspect without overpowering the other flavours.
- Salad Dressings: Blend soy sauce with olive oil, vinegar, and a touch of honey for a delicious and umami-rich salad dressing that pairs well with fresh greens.
- Glaze for Roasting: Create a glaze using soy sauce, brown sugar, and spices for brushing on meats or vegetables as they roast, imparting a rich and caramelized flavour.
Try our organic tamari soy sauce
Umami in Different Cuisines
Umami plays a significant role in cuisines across the globe, contributing to rich and savoury flavours that make dishes uniquely satisfying. On your path to understanding umami, you might want to explore some of these cuisines for inspiration and instruction.
Japanese food
The Japanese are the most obvious masters of umami.
Traditional staples such as miso soup, dashi broth, and soy sauce are quintessential elements that impart deep umami characteristics. Miso, fermented soybean paste, adds complexity and depth to soups, marinades, and even desserts. Dashi, a broth made from kombu (kelp) and bonito flakes, acts as a foundational ingredient in many Japanese dishes, delivering a subtle yet profound savouriness. Soy sauce, both salty and umami-rich, enhances the flavour profile of a wide array of foods, from sushi to simmered dishes.
Together, these ingredients exemplify how Japanese culinary techniques expertly layer umami to create dishes that are not only pleasing to the palate but also embody a sense of tradition and cultural heritage.
Italian food
The Italians are the less obvious masters of umami.
In Italian cuisine, umami shines through in both subtle and bold expressions, utilizing a range of ingredients that naturally enhance a dish's depth and richness. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is perhaps the most recognized umami component in Italian cooking, with its intense flavour able to transform pasta, risottos, and salads. The slow-cured Parma ham brings a savoury, slightly sweet umami punch, essential for antipasti but also for adding flavour to dishes. Anchovies, whether they're dissolved into sauces or used as a pizza topping, deliver a salty umami boost, infusing dishes with a robust savoriness.
Italian cooks also rely on ripe tomatoes and rich, flavorful stocks to build that comforting, satisfying taste that makes their dishes so beloved around the world. By combining these ingredients thoughtfully, Italian cuisine achieves a harmonious balance of flavours, illustrating the power of umami in its gastronomic tradition.
French food
French food, the starting point for all classically trained chefs, is all about building a foundation of flavour. It may be the least likely source of umami you can think of until you learn what to look for.
In French cuisine, umami quietly asserts itself through a range of classic techniques and ingredients that create deep layers of flavour. Stocks and broths play a pivotal role, as they are often simmered for hours, extracting rich umami from bones and vegetables. Mushrooms, frequently sautéed in butter, contribute an earthy umami essence, enhancing everything from sauces to stews. Meanwhile, aged cheeses like Gruyère and Comté add complexity and a pronounced savoury note to gratins and soufflés. The art of caramelization, whether applied to onions or meats, unlocks further umami depth, creating the distinct, full-bodied flavours that French food is celebrated for.
These elements together uphold the French culinary tradition of sophistication and depth, making umami an integral yet subtle player in their gastronomy.
You will find that most foods around the world are built upon a foundation of umami, and all of their classic dishes are about balancing tastes and bringing out the best in ingredients. But the three above provide a firm foundation for a greater understanding of how to harness flavour for unforgettable everyday cooking.
As we have hopefully shown you, understanding the role of umami opens up a world of possibilities for enhancing our cooking (and ultimately, eating) experiences. By recognizing and embracing umami, we can enhance our appreciation of these culinary arts and apply these principles to create remarkable meals in our own kitchens.
Explore our range of Asian groceries and organic ingredients to help you elevate your cooking through umami today.