What you need
Kombu (dried kelp)
Katsuobushi (tuna flakes)
Miso paste
Silken tofu
Spring onion
UMAMI, from the Japanese words for 鈥渄elicious taste鈥�, was first described by chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1907, but it took a while for the rest of the world to catch on. The word鈥檚 first appearance in a mainstream English-language publication came in .
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Umami finally gained wide acceptance in 2001, with the discovery of receptors on the tongue that respond to glutamate, an amino acid that is key to the umami taste. At least two other compounds 鈥� inosine and guanosine 鈥� also contribute. The various umami molecules act in combination, provoking stronger sensations when present together.
Meat or bones simmered for a long time release lots of umami compounds, so umami is sometimes described as tasting meaty. But other potent triggers come from plants or fungi, such as tomatoes or shiitake mushrooms.
We seem to be innately disposed to find the umami taste enjoyable, presumably because the compounds that create it signal the presence of protein, which is so important in our diet. This enjoyment of umami begins at a very early age: human breast milk is high in glutamate, suggesting that it is nutritionally important to growing babies.
Although the synthetic version, monosodium glutamate (MSG), has acquired a reputation for causing ill effects, studies have found no evidence to support this notion. MSG will give your food that satisfying umami kick, but if that feels like cheating, soy sauce, tomato puree and Marmite are all loaded with glutamate and work as excellent flavour enhancers. Fish sauce is a great source of inosine, while dried porcini mushrooms release lots of guanosine.
Ikeda discovered umami by researching dashi: a stock used in Japanese cooking that is based on kombu, a kind of kelp, and katsuobushi, flakes of dried tuna. Dashi鈥檚 subtle savoury taste makes it a great base for all kinds of soups and stews. Look for kombu and katsuobushi in Asian food shops.
To make dashi, add a large piece of kombu to a litre of water and bring it to the boil. Take out the kombu at this point 鈥� it gives off a bitter flavour in boiling water. Throw in a handful of katsuobushi and simmer for a minute, then turn off the heat and let the flakes infuse for 10 minutes before straining.
Miso, made from fermented soya beans, is another Japanese ingredient high in umami. Miso soup is, for me, one of the most comforting foods there is. For two servings, stir one tablespoon of miso paste into 500 millilitres of dashi stock. Add a few cubes of silken tofu and spring onion or wakame seaweed and serve.
You can also watch convection in action as your soup cools. The clouds of miso particles show how hot liquid rises in the centre, cools and sinks again at the edges.
For next week
Plain flour
Baking powder, baking soda
Buttermilk
Eggs
Butter
Sugar, salt, maple syrup
Next in the series
1 The scientific shortcuts to cooking delicious caramelised onions
2 How to make halloumi and ricotta cheese using ancient biotechnology
3 How to cook perfect chips: Learn the science of crispiness
4 Here鈥檚 how to make your own tofu for Chinese New Year
5 Use the science of curing to turn salmon into gravlax at home
6 How tempering chocolate hacks its crystalline structure
7 Umami and flavour
8 Perfect pancakes
The chemistry that makes a better batter
9 Kimchi and fermentation
10 Sourdough bread
All projects are posted at Email: cooking@newscientist.com
