Umami is a Japanese word meaning “tasty” and is considered to be the fifth flavor. The ummi flavor is present in foods rich in amino acids, especially those that contain glutamate and nucleotides, such as meat, seafood, cheese, tomatoes and onions.
The ummi enhances the taste of the foods, keeps this taste for longer time in the mouth and stimulates the production of saliva, which increases the interaction of food with the taste buds and promotes the feeling of pleasure when eating.
The ummi flavor is felt after the perception of sweet and acid flavors. Usually the food and fast food industry adds a flavor enhancer, monosodium glutamate, to enhance the ummi flavor of food, making them more pleasant and addictive. Learn more about monosodium glutamate.
Foods with ummi flavor
The foods that have ummi flavor are those rich in amino acids and nucleotides, especially those that have the substances glutamate, inosinate and guanylate, for example:
- High-protein foods: meat, chicken, eggs and seafood;
- Vegetables: carrots, peas, corn, ripe tomatoes, dried tomatoes, potatoes, onions, nuts, asparagus, cabbage, spinach, garlic and soy;
- Strong cheeses, such as parmesan, cheddar and emental;
- Industrialized products: shoyu sauce, ready-made soups, frozen ready food, cubed seasoning, instant noodles, fast food.
To learn to feel more ummi taste, one should be aware, for example, at the end of the taste of a very mature tomato. Initially it appears acid and bitter taste of the tomato, and then comes the ummi flavor. The same procedure can be done with Parmesan cheese.
Recipe of pasta to feel the taste ummi
The pasta is the perfect dish to taste ummi, because it is rich in foods that bring this flavor: meat, tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.
Ingredients: Ingredients:
- 1 chopped onion;
- Salsa, garlic, pepper and salt to taste;
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
- Sauce or tomato extract to taste;
- 2 chopped tomatoes;
- 500 g of noodles;
- 500 g of ground meat;
- 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan.
Mode of preparation :
Place the pasta to cook in boiling water. Refocus the onion and garlic on the olive oil until golden brown. Add to ground beef and cook for a few minutes, adding the seasonings to taste (salsa, pepper and salt).
Add the tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes, leaving cooking for about 30 minutes on low heat with the pan semi-covered or even the meat cooked. Mix the sauce with the noodles and add the grated Parmesan on top. Serve hot.
How the industry uses ummi
The food industry adds a flavor enhancer called monosodium glutamate to make foods tasteful and addictive. This artificial substance simulates the ummi taste present in natural foods and increases the feeling of pleasure felt when feeding.
Thus, when consuming a fast food burger, for example, this additive highlights the good experience of the food, making it consume itself to fall in love with that flavor and consume more of these products. However, the exaggerated consumption of industrialized products rich in monosodium glutamate, such as hamburger, frozen food, ready-made soups, instant noodles, and spice cubes is linked to weight gain and obesity.
Graduated from the Catholic University of Santos in 2001, with professional registration in CRN-3 No. 15097.
