Tasty and healthy food is the main highlight on Umami Day

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Learn how to incorporate the fifth taste into daily meals and make them even tastier and healthier

São Paulo, July 2023 – The most appetizing date of the year is coming. Celebrated on July 25, Umami Day is a special occasion dedicated to the appreciation and celebration of the fifth taste. Translated from Japanese as “delicious” or “savory,” umami is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, along with the other four known tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.

Unveiled 115 years ago by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda, umami is widely recognized in global cuisine for its ability to enhance and improve the flavor of food. The rich notes that make up this palatable sensation provide a unique taste experience.

Naturally present in most Brazilian meals, umami can be found in various foods such as meats, tomato, corn, onion, peas, aged cheeses, mushrooms, among others. According to Food Science PhD and Umami Committee consultant, Hellen Maluly, it may be one of the first tastes we experience at birth, since breast milk is rich in umami.

“The common characteristic among these foods is the presence of the amino acid glutamate, mainly responsible for providing umami. In addition to its natural form, umami can also be added to recipes through monosodium glutamate, the industrialized version, which has the same properties as the amino acid naturally present in foods,” explains the specialist.

The fifth taste plays an important role, as it can balance or enhance the flavors of various dishes, such as soups, sauces, marinades, and other preparations. “Umami generates the prolongation of flavor after eating and causes an increase in salivation in the mouth, which improves the palatability of foods. Saliva is important to lubricate the mouth and dilute aromas present in food, a fact of extreme importance for improving chewing and palatability,” highlights Hellen.

The Umami Committee specialist shared three tips on how to feel, differentiate, and incorporate the fifth taste into recipes:

1 – Add different ingredients rich in umami to your recipe, such as tomatoes in general, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms and others, aged cheeses such as parmesan, or kombu seaweed.

2 – Prepare broths using ingredients such as dried bonito fish, dehydrated mushrooms, and seaweed.

3 – Give a touch of umami to sauces and marinades with soy sauce, miso paste, concentrated tomato paste, or anchovies.

Umami Day is a date to celebrate the diversity of dishes and flavors promoted by the fifth taste. Discover new ingredients, try different recipes, and enjoy this very special taste.

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 the increase in salivation and the persistence of the taste for a few minutes after eating the food. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br.