Umami: Unlocking the Secrets of the Fifth Taste

Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History

by Ole G. Mouritsen, Klavs Styrbæk

In the West, we have identified only four basic tastes -- sour, sweet, salty, and bitter -- that, through skillful combination and technique, create delicious foods. Yet in many parts of East Asia over the past century, an additional flavor has entered the culinary lexicon: umami, a fifth taste impression that is savory, complex, and wholly distinct.

Combining culinary history with recent research into the chemistry, preparation, nutrition, and culture of food, Mouritsen and Styrbæk encapsulate what we know to date about the concept of umami, from ancient times to today. Umami can be found in soup stocks, meat dishes, air-dried ham, shellfish, aged cheeses, mushrooms, and ripe tomatoes, and it can enhance other taste substances to produce a transformative gustatory experience. Researchers have also discovered which substances in foodstuffs bring out umami, a breakthrough that allows any casual cook to prepare delicious and more nutritious meals with less fat, salt, and sugar. The implications of harnessing umami are both sensuous and social, enabling us to become more intimate with the subtleties of human taste while making better food choices for ourselves and our families.

This volume, the product of an ongoing collaboration between a chef and a scientist, won the Danish national Mad+Medier-Prisen (Food and Media Award) in the category of academic food communication.

Genres: Food, Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I requested this book on Netgalley I was expecting a cookbook that dabbled in the science of taste. Expectation subverted! This book is a glorious guidebook to the science, history, and culture of the fifth taste and how it has shaped the human desire for the savory since the dawn of time. From detailed charts and diagrams showing how chemical receptors in taste-buds perceive taste to the study of Ancient Roman fermented fish dishes, this book has everything related to Umami.

Divided into sections, first by the science and history of the fifth taste, then by different food groups which contain the chemicals that create the much sought after savory taste. Lastly there is a very detailed collection of charts and detailed chemical analyses.

Of course there are recipes, they range from classic dashi stock (so many varieties!) to complex Foie Gras dishes with ingredients that make my head spin. The recipes were easy to follow and the photos showed mouth watering and beautifully plated dishes. My only complaint with the recipes is a lot of the ingredients are not easy to come by so I was unable to experiment with them at the time. I certainly hope to try a few of them in the future after I have hunted the ingredients down.

I was very impressed with this book. As a tea reviewer I think a lot about the science of taste, and of course run into Umami quite often with green tea. Having a book so clearly lay out the science behind taste, and not just the taste the book was dedicated to, makes this an extremely valuable resource. I do wish there had been more coverage on green tea, in my opinion one page was not enough, but I am quite biased on that.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to take their cooking to a new level or for anyone who ever tasted a savory mushroom and thought to themselves, why does this taste this way?

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed a lot of it, but definitely not aimed at vegetarians.

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on umami, covering history, chemistry, culture, recipes, many umami foodstuffs etc.

[Alex McGilvery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Umami is a fascinating book that explores the physiology and chemistry of taste. The authors take us on a tour of a rarely seen side of cooking - that is is the science behind why food tastes as it does and how we register that taste. In Western cuisine we have four tastes, sweet, sour, salty and bitter. In the East they add a fifth taste, umami, which some people refer to as savoury.

Umami works in concert with the other tastes to create a fuller sensation of food. They reveal early on that umami is created by glutamate. It is the MSG of decades ago. They talk about how MSG was made into an toxic food additive in the popular mind by misunderstanding and incomplete science. The book is much more that an attempt to reintroduce MSG as an additive. It is much more interesting.

The authors take us through several recipes that allow us to create the umami taste in dashi broth and in other ways. As you proceed through the book you find recipes at each step which show how with common ingredients we can use umami in our own cooking without any recourse to additives.

In many ways we’ve already been using umami without knowing, whether it is the additive of anchovies, or the dash of soy sauce in our dish. I enjoyed reading the book and learning more of the science behind food and taste. I also liked having the chance to play with umami in recipes that are almost familiar. 

Umami is well worth reading by any one who enjoys food and would like to understand a little more about the reasons and cause of that enjoyment.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book goes into the "scientific" explanation/description of the "fifth taste" known as umami. It seems that MSG gives that flavor to foods among other things. I found the "scientific explanation" part of the book to be rather dull. I was not impressed with the recipes because the instructions did not make sense. For example, in Sicilian Ratatouille, one of the ingredients is 2 to 4 fresh artichokes which it says to cut into cubes. Does that refer to just the artichoke heart? Do they mean for you to cut up the whole thing? It then says that if fresh artichokes are not available, oil -preserved artichokes in a jar can be substituted, which would only be the hearts. In addition, many of the ingredients are things I have never really used or seen in a store - like salt cod or pork cracklings. I received this book free to review from Netgalley.

[Glennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straight up this had to be the most scientifically detailed cookbook I have ever read. This goes down to the molecular level of the why and how umami reacts with our tastebuds along with giving detailed recipes on how to make your own. This is not a cookbook for someone just wanting a new selection of recipes to try but more for some one who is very comfortable in the kitchen and access to some more interesting ingredients.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ebook was poorly formatted so it was distracting to read but it's an interesting subject. I'm interested in paying more attention to this in some future cooking.

[Beck · Rating 2 out of 5]

The food chemistry stuff was neat, but the recipes were unusable.