Perception of the basic tastes is the topic of a lecture at the Brazil Beer Summit 2022

Credits: Brazil Beer Cup

PhD in Food Science and Consultant to the Umami Committee takes part in a congress connecting beer and umami

São Paulo, November 2022 – During the Brazil Beer Summit 2022 brewing congress, PhD in Food Science and Umami Committee Consultant, Hellen Maluly, will give a lecture on the perception of the five basic tastes of the human palate: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami.

Umami is the fifth basic taste and means “delicious” or “savory” in Japanese. It is characterized mainly by the amino acid glutamate and is present in various foods such as tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, dried shiitake, and tuna.

In the lecture “Perception of the five basic tastes in fermented beverages and their potential influence on consumer preference,” to be presented at Beer Summit 2022, Dr. Hellen will show why umami may be present in some beverages, even if rarely. The lecture will be available online starting November 28.

“In the case of beers, the presence of umami is very small, but to increase the taste in the beverage and improve the palate and its pairing with foods, brewers have used adjuncts such as miso,” explains the specialist.

In addition to the lecture, the scientist took part in the Brazil Beer Cup competition, demonstrating to the judges how tastes can be perceived in beverages through descriptive tests.

“These tests are important so that the judges understand which tastes and flavors they need to recognize in beers. This way, the judges’ taste buds become more ‘trained’ and can provide a more accurate evaluation,” says Hellen.

Brazil Beer Cup and Beer Summit 2022
The Brazil Beer Cup is a beer competition that includes breweries from around the world in the commercial, experimental, innovation, and gypsy brewery categories. Judging took place between October 24 and 26, 2022.

The Beer Summit 2022 brewing congress will feature speakers from around the world and will be broadcast online starting November 28, 2022.

UMAMI
It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami confirmed the existence of specific receptors for this taste on the taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances. The two main characteristics of umami are increased salivation and a lingering taste for a few minutes after consuming food. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br.