Numbers

The Fifth Flavor

How It's Used

“When our palates tire of mere sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, we turn to two condiments from Japan—Marumata Owarino and Tamari and Semba Zenji Shotturu—that deliver umami, the so-called fifth flavor, which has been defined as ‘tasty’ or ‘savory’.”

"A few months ago the Kakutas' 10-month-old Monaka noticed something interesting had been added to her daily fare of rice, mother's milk and formula.

"Her mom, who is 35, had introduced a nutrient-loaded porridge redolent of things few American babies would recognize, such as diced daikon radish and powdered liver. The powdered liver, a product moms can buy at the store in Japan, is "for brain food," Mr. Kakuta says. Motomi was also subtly loading the entree with umami, baby-style.

"This is the savory 'fifth' flavor that we love in Parmesan cheese, steak and tomatoes."

"Fish sauce. Why: This Southeast Asian condiment made from fermented anchovies is an essential ingredient in Thai, Vietnamese, Philippine and other Southeast Asian cuisines. Many cooks call on it for a quick shot of umami, the Japanese term for the fifth flavor found in savory, protein-rich foods. It works even for Western pasta sauces, vinaigrettes or fish dishes."

"Yesteryear's researchers wrote of four basic tastes - sweet, salty, bitter, and sour - that register on the human tongue. Since then, scientists have acknowledged a fifth taste, umami, a brothy soy sauce flavor emphasized in Eastern cuisine."

"Yoshihiro Murata is holding up a length of kombu, a dried seaweed. The Japanese chef is explaining how he makes dashi, the stock at the heart of Japanese cuisine. His audience, mostly top British chefs, is gripped. Dashi, you see, unlocks the key to umami — the 'fifth taste' after sweet, sour, salt and bitter.

"We are attending the grandly named umami summit on Piccadilly, London. Its aim is to show off dashi and umami, to explain how they are used to create low-fat dishes..."

Also Known As (AKA)

The Fifth Taste

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