There are foods that are sweet, salty, bitter, acidic, and others that are simply umami. But … what is umami? The so-called “fifth flavor” is characterized by having a pleasant and very tasty taste, in fact, this is the literal meaning of the word “umami”, of Japanese origin. And is that the discoverer of this flavor is the scientist Kinukae Ikeda, a scientist from the Imperial University of Tokyo who in 1908 identified that there are foods with a peculiar taste very different from the four flavors established so far.
As you can imagine, this discovery was a revolution and many others dedicated long hours of work and study to learn more about the umami flavor. For example, the Chilean neurobiologist Charles Zucker managed to find out the exact place on the tongue where the fifth flavor is tasted. Specifically, umami’s specific taste receptors are located in the central part of the tongue, a trait that we share with certain species of animals.
What foods taste umami?
I’m sure you’re dying to know what foods taste umami by now, right?
Well, the ham, serrano, anchovies , serrano ham, asparagus, bonito and cheese are clear examples of this “fifth flavor”.
Although all of them are foods of different origin, they have certain points in common. They have a flavor that lasts in the mouth, which is perceived in the same area of the tongue and causes desire and desire to eat over and over again. I mean, they all taste the same: umami.
This is because all these foods have monosodium glutamate, one of the most abundant non-essential amino acids in nature that, together with other molecules, forms proteins. According to the studies that exist on this subject, foods with monosodium glutamate cause us an excess of salivation and a lot of desire to ingest, again and again, that food with that delicious flavor. The scientific reason for this reaction is that this substance acts on neurons in the brain, altering the functioning of the mechanisms that detect the sensation of satiety and causes the behavior to be repeated. I mean, you can’t stop eating.
As you can imagine, the discovery of monosodium glutamate as the key that causes the desire to eat the same product was a revolution in the food industry. In fact, and today, this substance is manufactured artificially and is used as a flavor enhancer in many products. It is especially used in Asian food, especially in soy sauce ; but also in the manufacture of processed and ultra-processed foods, such as soups, sauces, stews, chips and other snacks. Now you know the reason why when you eat a potato chip you can’t stop until you finish your bag. Although part of the fault lies with other components such as hydrolyzed protein, sodium or calcium caseinate and yeast extract.
