Umami, The Fifth Taste

Umami: Savoriness, (Translated from Japanese: "YUMMY") This has been proposed as the fifth taste that is detected by the human (and some animals) tongue.

The tongue has been thought to house four taste receptors that read a four different tastes. Sweet, Sour, Salty, and Bitter (Bitter being added by Greek philosopher, Democritus a couple of thousand years ago) were the four tastes and everything fell into one of these categories until a question was put forward by Auguste Escoffier. Yes, Escoffier, that late 18th century Chef found that he tasted something that didn't necessarily taste as if it fit into one of the categories that were already defined. This taste was Savory, Hearty, Rich... Escoffier's Question: What was This Taste? Escoffier Thought that he had captured the essence in his invention of veal stock, Yet he merely caught a glimpse and could never truly take credit for the discovery.

About a century earlier a gentlemen by the name of Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin had written a collection of pieces that he named "The Physiology Of Taste" and in the script he defines a concept that he named Osmazome. Osmazome is defined as, "the purely sapid portion of flesh soluble in cold water, and separated from the extractive portion which is only soluble in boiling water." (Insert from: The Physiology Of Taste). The definition in modern times is referring to making a very simple stock. The article goes on to describe Osmazome as "The most meritorious ingredient in all soups." Brillat-Savarin then goes on to pick and choose wich animals obtain this "Essence" and which do not: stating that animals with dark black and red hair are loaded with the stuff, and it is hardly every found in chicken, suckling pigs and so on. Although Umami is similar in the concept of Osmazome, Brillat-Savarin does not get the credit for this discovery simply because he didn't have a firm grasp on the understanding of the concept. But its not a total loss for Jean, He now has a cheese named in his honor, a marvelous Brie that captures the essence of Umami.

1908, Japan, A gentleman by the name of Kikunae Ikeda, decides that he really likes a bowl of Dashi... There's just something about it. Dashi is a traditional Japanese soup made with seaweed, which the Japanese had been using for years in the same way that Escoffier and Brillat-Savarin had been using stocks. Baffled by the presence of an unexplainable taste, Ikeda became determined in solving his mystery. Using resources and intelligence as a chemist, Ikeda began to define Umami as we know it today. Ikeda singled out monosodium glutamate as the sole reason for this unexplained taste, he the isolated and extracted the chemical and began distributing it around the world. Once Ikeda published his findings that discredited Plato and Aristotle (Who both knew of only four tastes) no one believed in his research. Yet to this day Monosodim Glutamate can be found as MSG.

In 2002, Scientists revisited the topic and in their research found that there indeed was a fifth taste receptor on your tongue that became aroused when you ate something that was amazingly yummy in a non salty, sweet, sour, or bitter way. Ikeda was right and in honor of his findings, this taste was now known as Umami (What he had referred to this taste as in a lab diary).

A List Of Umami Rich Foods:
- Beef
- Pork
- Tuna
- Anchovies
- Seaweed
- Oysters
- Prawns
- Truffles
- Cheeses
- Mushrooms
- Soy Beans
- Potatoes/ Sweet Potatoes
- Green Tea

The list could go on for days and since its arrival the culinary world has embraced it with open arms. Chefs have created menus to highlight the taste, we are now showcasing the taste as well as taking full advantage of the ability to properly identify that special little twinge on the back of your tongue when you have been truly satisfied and can simply utter the word... Umami!