Umami: The Savory Taste

taste · flavor science · food · senses

One of five tastes. Your tongue can taste five different things: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Umami means 'pleasant taste' in Japanese and is the savory, mouth-filling flavor you get from chicken broth, aged cheese, and ripe tomatoes.

Found in cooked meat. When you cook meat, it develops a rich umami flavor that's even stronger than raw meat. This savory taste comes from natural compounds called glutamates that appear when proteins break down during cooking.

In aged foods. Foods that have been aged or fermented, like parmesan cheese, soy sauce, and mushrooms, are packed with umami. The longer food sits, the more umami flavor it builds up, which is why old cheddar tastes so much more interesting than fresh cheese.

Hidden in vegetables. Tomatoes, especially when cooked, are full of umami flavor. Garlic, onions, and mushrooms are also umami superstars, which is why chefs combine them to make dishes taste incredible.

Your body recognizes it. Your taste buds have special sensors just for umami flavors, separate from the sensors for other tastes. This tells you umami is truly its own distinct taste, not just a mix of the other four.