Umami - another taste!

simu

I just read about this now in a magazine - fascinating, no?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami#Umami

CJhaughey

Yeah thats the fifth taste, you have salty, sweet, sour,bitter and umami
Basic knowledge no?

simu

First I'd heard of it and given that it was necessary to borrow the word from the Japanese, I'm not the only one.

Khalim

wow....guess you learn something new every day.

This was my first time I've ever heard of the word, even though I add a LOT of MSG into my food. [Warning: Do not put excess amounts of MSG in foods. May cause baldness]

I wonder if the fifth taste is included in science books these days...

Dellgirl

Basic knowledge no?

No. Dont be so condesending.

CJhaughey

I wasn't being condescending, I genuinely though that most people would have heard of this by now.
I am sorry that you thought I was being condescending but hey maybe my opinion of people is too generous.

Dellgirl

Your sig covers my answer

This is the first time Ive heard of this. Is this a mad japanese idea (I know thats not the right word) or is this common to all palates?
What I mean to ask - in a very incoherent way is - Is this a dreamed up notion for marketing or do we genuinely have this as a 5th taste?








Edit* Ruined this one too!

Dellgirl

Edit* Posted twice.
Delete please. Thanks.

CJhaughey

No it is not dreamt up by a marketeer.
The asian cuisines didn't exactly start brewing soya sauce in the last few years, and many japanese dishes have high levels of Msg like dashi, miso etc etc
Italians also knew about it although perhaps didn't "literalise" it with a name like Umami
But when parmesan cheese contains high levels of msg you have to wonder what they call it. Maybe there is a term in italian for it?

Dellgirl

"literalise"

Thats the one!

Interesting stuff. Whats the nearest english word to umami?

CJhaughey

"Western cuisine, where it is sometimes referred to as "savory", "meaty" or "moreish."

Cake Fiend

CJhaughey wrote:

"moreish."

This is the worst word ever created.

CJhaughey

I agree but we all know what it means...

tman

simu wrote:

First I'd heard of it and given that it was necessary to borrow the word from the Japanese, I'm not the only one.

you'd never heard of "savoriness"?
must have been a riveting magazine article...

simu

tman wrote:

you'd never heard of "savoriness"?
must have been a riveting magazine article...

Oh it was.

Jeez, the abuse I get for starting a discussion!

pickarooney

Blingarella wrote:

Thats the one!

Interesting stuff. Whats the nearest english word to umami?

Yore Mammy!