Nov 18, 2009

What is Umami?

The first time I read about umami is in an advertisement section in a Reader's Digest I bought in the Philippines last month. It was for Aji-no-moto, a brand of MSG. According the article, umami is the other basic taste in addition to sweet, sour, salty and bitter.

Wikipedia says umami is more commonly known as savoriness. I guess the closest thing is the flavor of meat, cheese or mushrooms.

Last night, I was watching the Next Iron Chef and one of their challenges was to make dishes with umami flavor. I think it was sponsored by a soy sauce company. The contestants made some interesting dishes, too. I can't wait to make my own version of an umami dish: quickmelt cheese and butter on grilled shrimp. Wanna come over for dinner?

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