How Savoriness (Umami) Works - The Flavor Equation 🌞

NOT FAR FROM MY PARENTS ’ HOME in
Bombay is the fishing village of Chimbai. The
catch is spread over large mats or hung over
long strings attached to bamboo poles—fish
such as the Bombay duck (actually a fish, also
called bombil or bummalo) and shrimp. The
air smells briny with the unmistakable scent of
fish. The fish and shrimp are added to curries
and stews and also cooked with chillies and
vinegar to form hot pickles with a distinct
savory taste.

Savoriness—or the now more commonly used Japanese
word, umami—is the taste most recently inducted into the
group of canonical tastes. Savoriness or umami will remind
you of meaty and bone brothlike tastes. Glutamate, one of
the most well-known sources for savoriness, was discovered
in 1908 by the Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda in a
seaweed, kombu. This discovery led researchers on a path
of discovery of gathering data to demonstrate that the
response to this ingredient was indeed unique and satisfied
the necessary criteria to qualify as a taste.

While it took time to uncover the exact mechanism by
which savoriness occurs, we all play with it in various ways
when we cook, and we’ve been doing it for years. Cooking
onions, ginger, and garlic together in meat curries or stirfries;
a generous shaving of Parmesan over pasta; a splash
of soy sauce over a bowl of warm egg drop soup; even
cooking with tomatoes in savory dishes—all help to create
the taste of savoriness in our food.

How Savoriness Works


Several substances in our food create the taste of umami
or savoriness. Aging and fermentation also help increase
the concentration of these savory-tasting molecules
(think: cheese and soy sauce). These substances are
usually amino acids such as glutamate and nucleotides,
which are a part of our nucleic acids; for example, DNA
and RNA. Glutamate in our diet acts as an energy source
and gets metabolized by the body to synthesize various
other substances that it needs to function. At present,
there are several candidates that might function as
umami taste receptors. Based on experimental studies,
some of these receptors respond to only glutamate;
others respond to both glutamate and the nucleotides.

I often use dried shiitake mushrooms to
bump up the savory notes of a stock. When
the cells of a food are alive, the nucleic acid,
RNA, is kept hidden away from an enzyme
called ribonuclease that specifically works
to break it down. When cells dry, as in
these mushrooms, they lose their structural
integrity and break, bringing the enzyme
into direct contact with the RNA, and they
produce 5’-guanylate.

Savoriness Boosters

There are several vegetarian and nonvegetarian options
for boosting the savory profile of dishes. Some come
from the ocean, and many are produced through fermentation
that allows the breakdown of proteins via enzymes.
Other ingredients, like tomatoes, get their umami taste
through ripening

ANCHOVIES AND FISH SAUCE

Anchovies are a tiny, oily fish sold either fresh, preserved in
salt, or packed in oil. The preserved fish are also rich in
glutamate, which gives them their rich umami flavor. They are
featured in the Italian tomato sauce puttanesca, as well as
in the classic Caesar salad dressing and in some of the fish
based sambals of South Asia. To use, cook the anchovies in
a bit of hot olive oil; the fish will fall apart as if melting and
can then be used to form the base of a sauce or any recipe.
I use anchovies to increase the glutamates in My Quick
Marinara.

Fish sauce is one of the most potent sources of savoriness;
a little bit goes a long way. Produced by fermenting fish,
it has a funky odor and is rich in glutamates. There are
several types of fish sauce: The ancient Romans’ version
was garum; in Asia, the Vietnamese use nuoc nam, the Thai
use nam pla, and the Indonesians use kecap ikan. Asian
fish sauces are prepared by the fermentation of anchovies
in a mixture of salt and water. Ancient recipes for garum
used anchovies, mackerel, and even eel. A splash of fish
sauce in a salad dressing , soup, or braised vegetables can
remarkably improve the savory character.

BONITO FLAKES

Katsuobushi are thin, paperlike pieces of dried, fermented,
and smoked skipjack tuna. When the fish bonito, a cheaper
alternative, is used, they are called bonito flakes. The fish is
dried in the sun and left to age for several months to years.
This renders the flesh as hard as wood, and the flakes are
prepared by shaving the hard, dried fish on a special shaving tool
(very similar to the way in which wood shavings are made).
Bonito is used traditionally in the preparation of the Japanese
stock dashi; it was studies of this ingredient by Japanese
scientists that led to the discovery of the umami-tasting
nucleotide 5’-guanylate. Because bonito is prepared by drying
and the umami substances are concentrated early on in
processing, you don’t need to cook bonito flakes for very long
to extract their savoriness; that’s why most Japanese recipes

for dashi call for only a few minutes to steep the flakes. You
can quickly boost the savory taste of your broths or soups by
sprinkling in bonito flakes. Bonito flakes also provide a unique
texture, and because they move in the presence of wind and
steam, they give the illusion of being “alive.” Use them to top
omelets and roasted vegetables, and even as a garnish, (

MISO

Miso, a type of fermented soybean paste, is sold in little
tubs at almost all grocery stores across the country,
including Asian markets. In the miso-making process, first the koji
(kōji in Japanese, qu in Chinese, nurukgyun in Korean)—the
mold Aspergillus oryzae, inoculated in rice, barley, or
soybeans—is added to steamed soybeans along with salt
and left to ferment for anywhere from several months to
years in cedar barrels. Miso is the salty fermented paste
that results. Miso can be classified by color (akamiso or the
darker red, a medium-light color miso, and shiro or white
miso), taste (amakuchi, sweet, or karakuchi, salty), or the
type of koji used (rice, barley, or soybean). The type of
soybean used determines the color; malt determines the
sweet taste. Add white or red miso to your soups and stews
to bump up their savory notes, and use white miso in sweet
desserts. such as brownies. I sometimes stir in a small amount
of white miso or shiro into dulce de leche to add a bit of salty and
umami tastes.

MUSHROOMS

Mushrooms such as shiitake are a wonderful ingredient to
boost the savory taste in a dish. Fresh mushrooms contain
glutamate; dried mushrooms, when mixed with cold water,
produce 5’-guanylate by an enzyme. I keep a stash of dried
shiitake in my kitchen pantry. I first steep the mushrooms
in cold water, then use the liquid in my stocks and sauce
recipes when I need to quickly bump up the savory profile.
Use mushrooms in conjunction with other glutamate-rich
ingredients to take advantage of the umami synergism.



PARMESAN

Parmesan is the term for hard cheeses made in the United
States and other countries outside Italy that emulates
the Italian hard cheese licensed as Parmigiano-Reggiano.
To make it, fresh cow’s milk is collected in the evening
and left to rest. The fat that rises to the top is skimmed

SEAWEED

On returning to Japan from overseas, the scientist Kikunae
Ikeda noticed a familiar taste in dashi made from dried
kombu; it reminded him of the tomatoes, cheese, and meat
he’d eaten during his years spent working in Germany. This
led him to the discovery of glutamate—and the savory taste
of umami. The amount of glutamate can vary depending on
the type of seaweed, but in kombu and nori it is relatively
high. They’re sold in dried sheets in most grocery stores as
well as in Asian markets. Because they’re dried and already
concentrated, just like bonito, they release their glutamate
easily, and you don’t need to spend too much time infusing;
simply let the sheets steep in simmering water or broth for
a few minutes. You can chop up the dried sheets and use
them for flavor and texture over seafood, vegetables, and
even rice as is done with the Japanese seasoning furikake.
Two other Japanese-based seasonings that I keep on hand
are shichimi togarashi and gomasio. Like furikake, these are
exquisite flavor and texture boosters for roasted vegetables
and seafood. You can also incorporate chopped bits
of dried seaweed when making savory crackers and breads
such as scones.

SOY SAUCE AND TAMARI

Soy sauce, a staple in many Asian cuisines, is prepared by
the fermentation of soybeans and wheat by the koji, either
Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae, mold. The mixture
is then treated with saltwater and allowed to ferment.
During fermentation, the mold uses enzymes to break
down proteins and glutamate levels rise. The resulting liquid
is dark brown, with a noticeably salty and meaty taste.
Though tamari tastes and looks similar to soy sauce, its
production is quite different. To prepare tamari, very little
to no wheat is used (if you are sensitive to gluten, check the
label to see if it is gluten-free). Miso paste is the basis for
tamari, and the taste is usually less salty and much more
rounded compared to soy sauce. Both soy sauce and tamari
can be used interchangeably in most recipes.

TEA

Tea is rich in a special type of amino acid, theanine
(5-N-ethylglutamine), which has an umami taste. You can
use mild brews of black tea, especially smoked teas like
lapsang souchong, to build on savory flavors in soups and
broths. Green tea and matcha are also rich in this amino
acid, and you can use them in savory applications.

TOMATO

As a tomato ripens on the vine, the glutamate concentration
begins to rise; it increases by a whopping 480%, or
a 5.84-fold increase, making it a rich source of umami for
cooking. You might also notice that the inner pulp, which
contains the seeds, has a much stronger umami taste
compared to the outer flesh; this is where the glutamate
and the umami-tasting nucleotides are much more concentrated.
Don’t discard that gel-like pulpy mass of seeds the
next time you cook—umami goodness is stored there.

+ Umami-infused salts are a great way
to add and increase the perception of
savoriness in food. You can use them as
a cooking salt and even as a finishing salt
just before serving.

+ Most fermented food products, such
as kimchi, fish and shrimp pickles and
aachars, and hot sambals are rich in
savoriness, fieriness, and other tastes. Serve
them as condiments on the side with a
meal; use them in sandwiches or wraps
to add a layer of flavor. If possible, try to
incorporate them into mayonnaise or dips
for added depth. For example, grind a few
tablespoons of kimchi to make a purée, and
incorporate that into sauces.

+ The Indo-Chinese Condiments
provide heat, saltiness, acidity, and
savoriness. The Indo-Sichuan Sauce**
is extremely versatile; at home I
serve it with almost any appetizer. In India,
many restaurants serve the potato chops
from my book Season with this condiment.

+ Steep ingredients like kombu, nori, tea
leaves, matcha, or bonito in hot liquids to
make flavorful stocks. Since most of these
ingredients are dried, it makes it much
easier to draw out their umami-tasting
substances than with other foods in a short
period of time, usually a few minutes.

+ A spoonful of miso can impart a
bucketload of flavor. I usually use white
miso or shiro for sweeter applications (see
Chocolate Miso Bread Pudding, page 133)
and the darker red akamiso for savory
dishes.

+ Diced sundried cherry tomatoes and
tomato powder are a great way to boost the
savory factor in a meal. Blend them into
vinaigrettes to make salad dressings or into
sauces for braised or roasted vegetables
and meat.

+ When making kitchen stocks with
ingredients rich in IMP, such as bonito, add
the cooking acids once the stock is prepared,
not during cooking. Acids tend to decrease
the amount of IMP when heated.

+ Bring texture to your food by sprinkling
a generous tablespoon or two of bonito
flakes over hardboiled eggs, inside
sandwiches, and even as a garnish
over soups.

+ Shavings of Parmesan over sweet and tart
fruits, such as pears, peaches, and apples,
in salads with a few toasted nuts provide a
spot of savory and salty all rolled into one.

+ Salt-cured egg yolks (see recipe in
Pantry Essentials, page 312) are rich
in glutamate, which provides a strong
umami taste. Grated, they taste like salted
cheese. Use as a garnish wherever you
would use grated cheese.

+ Nuts such as walnuts are rich in glutamate
and can also provide a crunchy texture.

+ Our sensitivity to umami decreases as
the temperature drops. Consequently,
serving umami-rich dishes at warmer
temperatures will increase the perception
of savoriness. A cold broth will not taste as
delicious as it would when warm for this
very reason.

+ Cooking techniques like roasting will
enhance the perception of savoriness. You
can try this trick to improve on the flavor
of tomatoes when they aren’t in season
or they just don’t taste as good (which
sometimes happens even when I grow
them in summer).

+ Savoriness can enhance the perception of
saltiness. You can take advantage of this
when you want to cut back on the amount
of salt in a dish; for example, by adding
fish sauce. Several brands of fermented
food products, such as soy sauce, are now
commercially available in a low-sodium
version.

+ A pinch of salt on a slice of tomato or
sautéed mushrooms will bump up the note
of savoriness

+ A tiny bit of sugar or sweetener such as
honey can enhance the perception of
umami. While most foods are a blend of
various flavors, you might notice this
sweet touch in many South Asian recipes.
Sometimes, a pinch of sugar is added to
curries such as my beloved Massaman
to enhance the savory taste. Besides
sweeteners, some curries will often call
for ingredients that contain a small
amount of sugar such as coconut milk
and even tamarind.

From "The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained in More Than 100 Essential Recipes"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50998820-the-flavor-equation

https://niksharmacooks.com/

Thank you Nik (Recommended!)