We all know about the four tastes; sweet, sour, salty and bitter, but did you know there’s actually a fifth taste? That’s right – it’s called Umami, the Japanese word for ‘deliciousness’, and according to the Smithsonian, it’s what makes food taste downright ‘yummy’!

Also known as “the beautiful taste“, Umami has been described as a ‘meaty’ taste; it’s also been used to depict food that is so incredible that it transports diners into a state of pure culinary intoxication. Umami is that elusive factor that chefs are constantly striving to achieve – it’s what transforms meals from excellent to exceptional.

The discovery of this ‘fifth taste’ is credited to both a renowned Parisian chef, Auguste Escoffier, and a Japanese chemist by the name of Kikunae Ikeda. While they lived half a world apart, their love of great food created an invisible, enduring bond between these two food revolutionaries.

Legend has it that in the late 1800s, Escoffier invented veal stock and quickly realized it’s near-mythical power to both enhance the dining experience of his customers and make him a very wealthy restaurateur. Just like the pitch-lady for Franks Red Hot Sauce, Escoffier put that #%&! on everything!

Meanwhile over in Japan, Ikeda toiled in his laboratory in search of the elusive umami ingredient, the source of this ‘fifth taste’. He published his findings in the Chemical Society of Tokyo’s journal, revealing that glutamic acid was responsible for the fifth taste. Ikeda decided to put a local spin on his discovery, re-naming glutamic acid “Umami”. In 1909, the Ajinomoto Corporation of Japan successfully patented Ikeda’s chemical concoction as monosodium glutamate (MSG), and sold it throughout the United States under the brand name ‘Accent’.

Yup, MSG = umami…..

Food purists often scoff at the use of MSG as a culinary cheat, a way that hacks and home cooks can circumvent time-honored techniques and training to artificially enhance the flavor of food. While we’ll leave the debate over MSG for another time, the fact is that L-glutamate really does do wonders for a wide variety of dishes, however, unami doesn’t have to come from a bottle.

Just as Escoffier discovered at the turn of the century, umami (or more accurately, the glutamates that activate the unami receptors in our mouths) can be found in a variety of natural ingredients including mushrooms, meats and cheeses. The secret to unlocking the umami factor in foods is slow-cooking – this releases glutamate-packed amino acids, as does fermentation (think soy sauce, cheese. kimchi and cured meats). It’s what makes a well-aged steak so mouth-watering, a rich gravy so sensuous and Marmite so popular among Brits and Aussies!

So the next time you’re thinking a dish needs a little ‘something’, don’t reach for the usual flavor enhancers like sugar or salt – think ‘umami’!