What Is Umami, Exactly?

Asian Vegetarian Udon or Ramen noodles soup in bowl with Shiitake mushrooms and Bok Choy on grey stone background

What is umami?

Since the beginning of time, food lovers have sought out unique flavors and perfected ways to introduce them to others, even at infancy. While babies can’t identify salty tastes until they’re about four months old, human taste buds are routinely replenished until the age of 30. And by the time we reach 40, our taste preferences are fully established. Yet despite spending decades tasting a full array of flavors, most of us barely remember there’s a fifth flavor profile. And when we do remember, we’re often scratching our heads, wondering, “What is umami?”

Most Western traditions identify four basic flavors: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. You’ve known about those since you were young enough to blow your allowance on Sour Patch Kids. But Japanese traditions include another taste. This recently popularized fifth flavor is known as umami.

Read on to learn what umami is, what it tastes like, and where to find it in your favorite dishes. Then get more food trivia facts by reading up on what sashimi is and why truffles are so expensive.

What Is Umami

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