Educated “foodies” know umami (pronounced ooh-mommy) is the fifth flavor (behind sweet, salty, bitter and sour) and that it was discovered about one hundred years ago in Japan. Some people also call it “yumminess.” It is a flavor component found in food just as the more familiar four are but it is a little harder to describe this somewhat new concept.

At the 2009 Umami Symposium in San Francisco each member of the audience was given two pieces of cheese, told to taste each, and decide which one had more umami. Out of about one hundred fifteen people only two guessed correctly. Clearly we can not identify it by taste but studies have proven that foods rich in umami lead to a high level of satiety. In fact, some countries are using umami-rich diets to reduce obesity rates thus reducing diabetes rates.

Umami is found in tomatoes, mushrooms, seaweed, truffles, soy beans, seafood, aged meats and parmesan cheese. Glutamate, of which there are three types, is the scientific name for umami.  

The classic example is an often used Japanese soup base called Dashi (dah-she). It has kelp, bonito flakes, and shoyu which are all rich in umami. The base is used for making miso soup. Below, find a simple, delicious recipe. It only takes about ten minutes to make. The dried bonito is somehow reminiscent of smoky bacon and the miso paste mixed with water tastes a little similar to chicken broth. One would think it would taste fishy but it does not. It would be the perfect soup to eat when sick. It’s very comforting.

Miso Soup Recipe