Umami

Food Flavor
Whenever we consume food, we instinctively perceive much more than its obvious flavors. Our palates experience aspects of food that we may not understand or even be aware of. Any dish's flavor can be dramatically altered by our unique sense of taste or perception. The most basic function of food preference, or sense of taste, is the ability to detect the almost indiscernible subtleties of the foods we eat.

There is a whole range of tastes that we, as chefs, can tap into to make our dishes more appealing. If we are conscious of how our diners experience the food we cook, we can prepare dishes that far transcend the basic purpose of filling their stomachs.

TASTE SENSATION
As culinarians, we try to create the perfect balance between the four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. As diners, however, we have all experienced that intensity that somehow eludes definition: that enigmatic fifth taste known as umami. Yet up until the nineteenth century, the Western world believed that our mouths could not sense anything beyond the basic four tastes. In actuality, however, our ability to perceive other tastes has been known throughout the world for thousands of years. In ancient Greece, Aristotle identified seven basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, spicy, astringent, and sandy. As early as 1000 B.C., the Chinese documented five basic tastes whereas believers in ancient Indian yogic principles identified eight. Nevertheless, these early classifications were based more on observation than scientific fact.

In recent history, the debate on the validity of umami has been a heated one, to say the least, especially in America, where the concept of umami has taken quite some time to gain recognition. Throughout this controversy, one question has most often been disputed: Is umami a taste or a flavor? The answer lies in the definition of these two terms. Taste involves only a single sensation of each of the five basic tastes. A flavor, on the other hand, is a combination of multiple sensations experienced at the same time. Flavor, most notably, includes taste and smell.

By isolating the sense of taste, we can illustrate the difference between a taste and a flavor. If you bold your nose while eating a lemon, for example, the only sensation that you perceive is sourness, a taste. The sour taste of a lemon cannot be distinguished from that of vinegar, yet when you proceed to open your nose and inhale, you can sense the specific flavor of lemon.
Umami can be perceived by taste alone. Although the presence of other basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, and bitter) does make umami more apparent, the entire sensation is experienced on the tongue. This categorizes umami as a basic taste, not a flavor. Despite this fact, umami has not always been considered a basic taste in America. In the 1950's, the FDA categorized umami as a flavor enhancer because it requires the presence of other tastes in order to be perceived. It wasn't until 1990 at an international symposium that umami was widely accepted as the fifth basic taste.

PERFECTING THE PALATE
Ever since people have savored food, they have felt the presence of umami but have had trouble in accurately defining the term.
Umami is a Japanese word that roughly translates into English as "robust" or "delicious." Umami can also be described as heartiness, savoriness, or fullness of the mouth.
Even though it was only recently "discovered," many foods and seasonings popular throughout history have been naturally high inumami. One such flavoring agent used in ancient Greece and Rome was a pickled fish sauce called garum. This condiment dates back 2500 years, making it the oldest recorded umami seasoning. Other classic international dishes that include umami are Japanese broth true Italian pizzas, and French sauces.

In addition to pleasing the palate, umami was beneficial to early human survival. Our bodies are actually designed to appreciate and even crave the umami taste. Historically, one purpose of our sense of taste is to enable us to differentiate between healthy and harmful foods. Specifically, we naturally desire sweet foods so that we can maintain enough calories in our diet. Likewise, our affinity towards salt allows us to keep the proper water balance in our bodies. On the other hand, many sour and bitter foods were either unhealthy or poisonous for early humans. Our ancestors, therefore, naturally craved or avoided certain tastes in foods. Humans' preference for the umami taste ensured they would consume the proper amino acids to make proteins, which in turn forms muscle tissue.

Their desire for umami--as well as the other four tastes--actually helped early humans to maintain their health by ensuring that they ate a balanced diet.
Even the word umami has an interesting history of its own. The root comes from the word uma'i, a Japanese word derived from Zen, indicating goodness. The word umami also stems from a Zen word signifying oneness with the universe. Based on the spiritual connotation of these words from which umami is derived, the term is sometimes used to convey a broader concept than simply a taste. In a more philosophical sense, umami can be thought of as the intangible satisfaction involved in the total experience of eating.

Umami also suggests a deep connection and feeling of oneness with the food we eat. From a culinary standpoint, this concept is very appealing. The ability to promote a spiritual bond between our diners and our dishes is something that all chefs strive for. In this sense, umami is rooted in our love for food and the reasons we cook. This philosophy of the spiritual power of food is one that is gaining both recognition and praise in the culinary world.
Food Flavor