Sweet, sour, salty and bitter. We all know these four basic tastes. But there is another taste that has become increasingly well known in the culinary world: umami. So, what is umami exactly? And why does it make food taste fuller, deeper and often even more delicious?

In this article, we explain what umami is, where you can find it and how you can use this unique taste in your own cooking.

Umami is the fifth basic taste, alongside sweet, sour, salty and bitter. The word comes from Japanese and is often translated as ‘savoury’ or ‘delicious’.

Umami can be difficult to describe in just one word. It is not sweet, salty or sour. Instead, it gives food a deep, rich and savoury flavour. Think of a strong broth, aged Parmesan cheese or fried mushrooms.

In 1908, Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda discovered that glutamate was responsible for the distinctive taste of kombu, an edible seaweed commonly used in Japanese broth. He called this taste umami.

Umami is subtle. You do not always recognise it as clearly as you would recognise sweetness or acidity. However, its effect on a dish is easy to notice.

Food that is rich in umami often tastes fuller, rounder and more intense. Umami can also help bring other flavours in a dish into balance.

A simple example is tomato sauce. Ripe tomatoes naturally contain umami. Add a little Parmesan cheese and the sauce gains even more depth. The result tastes richer, without simply adding more salt.

Umami occurs naturally in many different ingredients. Foods that are rich in glutamate are particularly good sources.

Common examples include:

🍅 Tomatoes
🍄 Mushrooms
🧀 Parmesan cheese
🥢 Soy sauce
🍲 Broth and dashi
🌿 Kombu and other seaweeds
🐟 Fish and shellfish
🥩 Meat
🫘 Fermented foods such as miso

Ageing and fermentation can also increase the amount of free glutamate in food. This is one reason why aged cheese, soy sauce and fermented products often have such a strong savoury flavour.

If you regularly cook Asian food, you will come across umami everywhere. Ingredients such as soy sauce, miso, fish sauce, kombu and dried mushrooms are all powerful sources of flavour.

A good example is dashi, the classic Japanese broth. Kombu provides glutamate, while dried bonito can provide inosinate. Together, these substances can strengthen the umami effect.

But umami is certainly not limited to Asian cuisine. Italian cooking also makes frequent use of umami-rich ingredients such as tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, mushrooms and slow-cooked sauces.

You do not need complicated cooking techniques to add more umami to your food.

1. Add Parmesan cheese
A great addition to pasta, risotto, soups or roasted vegetables.

2. Use tomato paste
Cook tomato paste briefly before adding liquid. This helps create more depth of flavour.

3. Cook with mushrooms
Fried and dried mushrooms are especially useful for adding a rich savoury flavour.

4. Experiment with miso or soy sauce
A small amount can add an extra layer of flavour to soups, sauces or marinades.

5. Use a good broth
A well-made broth can give a dish much more flavour than water alone.

The secret is often not one single ingredient, but combining different flavour-rich ingredients.

Not exactly.

Umami is a taste. MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a substance that can create or enhance that taste.

Glutamate also occurs naturally in many foods, including tomatoes, cheese, seaweed and soy-based products. MSG is simply the sodium salt of glutamic acid and is commonly used as a flavour enhancer.

So umami is much broader than MSG alone.

This is perhaps the most interesting part of the fifth basic taste.

Umami is detected by specific taste receptors. Its effect can become even stronger when glutamate is combined with certain other compounds, such as inosinate.

This helps explain why a well-made broth, a slow-cooked stew or a dish with mushrooms and Parmesan cheese can taste so rich and satisfying.

Umami is the fifth basic taste and gives food a rich, savoury and deep flavour. You can find it in many different ingredients, from tomatoes and Parmesan cheese to kombu, soy sauce and mushrooms.

By using umami more consciously, you can give your dishes more depth without simply adding extra salt. And once you know what to look for, you will start recognising umami everywhere.