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It's not a new thing -

Umami isn’t a new thing. It’s been around since the dawn of ancient civilizations. For example, the fermented fish sauce called garum was widely used as a seasoning by Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans.

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Fermenting soy beans -

In Asia, soy sauce was created by fermenting soybeans. We assume it just tastes salty, but it’s not the case. One scientist proved it.

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Ikeda Kikunae -

Japanese chemist Ikeda Kikunae isolated glutamic acid from kelp in 1907. He proposed the link between this amino acid and a taste he called umami.

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Dedicated tastebuds -

Tastebuds help us detect flavors like salt and avoid toxins. And did you know we have several tastebuds dedicated to recognizing umami?

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It's biological but also psychological -

Why do we crave umami? Although there’s a biological explanation for it regarding nutritional chemistry, there might also be a psychological one.

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Our earliest memories -

You see, the taste of umami is highly associated with extremely rich sources of amino acids. For most of us, this means that the first food (breastmilk) was a massive source of umami flavor.

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The cornerstone -

Umami is common in Japanese cuisine, but it’s arguable that it’s a cornerstone of all cuisine. It’s only become common as a word in places like Europe recently, but we’ve all been subconsciously striving for it.

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Amino acids and nucleotide-rich ingredients -

One way is to increase the use of amino acids and nucleotide-rich ingredients. What does this look like? It looks like specific ingredients containing compounds like alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and proline.

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Why cooking is important -

The cooking of the food is also very important, because it results in the degradation of protein into its constituent amino acids.

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Searing and browning -

Browning things, whether it be bread or onions, cause something called the Maillard reaction. This is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars.

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Fermenting -

Fermentation is the least accessible method of increasing umami. However, it can be the most effective because microbes and enzymes present during fermentation break down proteins into amino acids.

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Fermented umami-flavored foods -

Some examples are soy sauce (soybeans and wheat), miso (soybeans and rice or barley), cheese (milk), and sake (rice).

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It's not always savory -

It’s not limited to savory foods. Some baked goods and cakes can have an umami flavor. In some cases, it’s the amino acids in the butter and browning of sugar and flour.

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Monosodium glutamate (MSG) -

In its purest form, it’s the taste of MSG, which is often added to meals to make them tastier.

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It lasts longer -

Umami taste spreads across the tongue, lasts longer than other basic tastes, and often provides a mouthwatering sensation.

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Nucleotide-rich foods -

What we’re looking for is nucleotide-rich foods. These include shrimp, steak, chicken, lentils, asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, and anchovies.

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Don't fret! -

It can sound rather scientific when we speak about food and chemistry at the same time, but it’s important to take a step back. Don’t get overwhelmed.

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Some other examples -

Fish, shellfish, cured meats, meat extracts (broth), ripe tomatoes, Chinese cabbage, spinach, and celery are all sources of umami.

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Fermented-aged products -

Fermented-aged products with yeast cultures like cheese, shrimp pastes, fish sauce, and vegemite are also sources.

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Honey walnut shrimp -

One simple pair is to make shrimp (nucleotide) with walnuts (an umami food). Honey walnut shrimp is a classic dish that will hit your umami senses.

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Chefs create umami bombs -

It’s become a popular flavoring amongst food manufacturers because it improves the taste of low-sodium offerings.

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It might be healthy -

It’s one way of making something tasty while not overdosing on elements that are harmful to the body in high doses like sugar and salt.

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FDA gives go-ahead for MSG -

The United States Food and Drug Administration has designated the umami enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) as a safe ingredient. However, many people report themselves to be sensitive to it.

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Massive doses cause mild symptoms -

The FDA concluded after some research that they were able to identify mild symptoms for someone who consumed an unrealistic amount of MSG.

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Umami is in, but spicy is still out -

The number of tastes that we have can still be debated, but it seems like umami has got its foot in the door and is now widely accepted. For example, spicy isn’t.

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Chicken katsu -

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Teriyaki-style chicken -

Another Japanese dish, teriyaki-style chicken is glazed with soy sauce and sake or mirin (sweet wine). Garlic and fresh ginger are often added to the mixture, too.

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Coq au Vin Nouveau -

This is a French dish made with chicken that is braised with wine, lardons, mushrooms, garlic and sometimes other vegetables.

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Beer stew -

Popular in the UK and Ireland, this dish is made with beef, onions, garlic, miso paste, fish sauce, carrots, potatoes, and turnip.

Sources: (Healthline)

See also: Cool salad combos for the hot days ahead

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