Umami
Japanese: 旨味（うま味）
The fifth basic taste, following sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. A deep, savory flavor triggered when amino acids like glutamic acid stimulate receptors on the tongue.
Umami is the fifth basic taste, discovered in 1908 by Kikunae Ikeda from kombu seaweed broth. A deep, lingering savoriness that defies classification as sweet, sour, salty, or bitter—its source is free amino acids like glutamic acid and nucleotide compounds.
Fermented foods are treasure troves of umami. Miso, soy sauce, katsuobushi, cheese—all produce abundant glutamic acid through microbial or enzymatic breakdown of proteins.
Umami is perceptible on its own, but combining glutamic acid with inosinic acid creates a synergistic effect that multiplies the sensation many times over. Japan's dashi culture is evidence that this principle was understood empirically long before science explained it.