15 February 2020 | New Scientist | 51UMAMI, from the Japanese
words for “delicious taste”,
was first described by chemist
Kikunae Ikeda in 1907, but it
took a while for the rest of the
world to catch on. The word’s
first appearance in a mainstream
English-language publication
came in New Scientist in 1979.
Umami finally gained wide
acceptance in 2001, with the
discovery of receptors on the
tongue that respond to glutamate,
an amino acid that is key to the
umami taste. At least two other
compounds – inosine and
guanosine – also contribute. The
various umami molecules act in
combination, provoking stronger
sensations when present together.
Meat or bones simmered for a
long time release lots of umami
compounds, so umami is
sometimes described as tasting
meaty. But other potent triggers
come from plants or fungi, such as
tomatoes or shiitake mushrooms.
We seem to be innately disposed
to find the umami taste enjoyable,
presumably because the
compounds that create it signal
the presence of protein, which is
so important in our diet. This
enjoyment of umami begins at a
very early age: human breast milk
is high in glutamate, suggesting
that it is nutritionally important
to growing babies.
Although the synthetic version,
monosodium glutamate (MSG),
has acquired a reputation for
causing ill effects, studies have
found no evidence to support this
notion. MSG will give your food
that satisfying umami kick, but ifthat feels like cheating, soy sauce,
tomato puree and Marmite are
all loaded with glutamate and
work as excellent flavour
enhancers. Fish sauce is a great
source of inosine, while dried
porcini mushrooms release lots
of guanosine.
Ikeda discovered umami by
researching dashi: a stock used
in Japanese cooking that is based
on kombu, a kind of kelp, and
katsuobushi, flakes of dried tuna.
Dashi’s subtle savoury taste makes
it a great base for all kinds of soups
and stews. Look for kombu and
katsuobushi in Asian food shops.
To make dashi, add a large piece
of kombu to a litre of water and
bring it to the boil. Take out the
kombu at this point – it gives off abitter flavour in boiling water.
Throw in a handful of katsuobushi
and simmer for a minute, then
turn off the heat and let the flakes
infuse for 10 minutes before
straining.
Miso, made from fermented
soya beans, is another Japanese
ingredient high in umami. Miso
soup is, for me, one of the most
comforting foods there is. For
two servings, stir one tablespoon
of miso paste into 500 millilitres
of dashi stock. Add a few cubes of
silken tofu and spring onion or
wakame seaweed and serve.
You can also watch convection
in action as your soup cools. The
clouds of miso particles show how
hot liquid rises in the centre, cools
and sinks again at the edges. ❚You’ve probably heard of umami, but what exactly is the “fifth
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JAMES WINSPEARSam Wong is social media
editor at New Scientist.
Follow him @samwong1
Science of cooking Week 7
A taste sensation
Science of cooking online
All projects are posted at
newscientist.com/cooking Email: [email protected]What you need
Kombu (dried kelp)
Katsuobushi (tuna flakes)
Miso paste
Silken tofu
Spring onion
For next week
Plain flour
Baking powder, baking soda
Buttermilk
Eggs
Butter
Sugar, salt, maple syrup
Next in the series
1 Caramelising onions
2 Making cheese
3 Science of crispiness
4 Tofu and Sichuan pepper
5 Gravlax and curing
6 Tempering chocolate
7 Umami and flavour
8 Perfect pancakes
The chemistry that
makes a better batter
9 Kimchi and fermentation
10 Sourdough bread