The Fifth Taste: Umami
Umami is a relatively new word for an old taste that has always existed and can be approached translated as 'tasty'. But when the word Umami was found, it was when Professor Ikeda from Japan just cooked a sugar kelp broth that had a distinct taste. Read more below about Professor Ikeda and his discovery of our fifth basic taste. Read more about Professor Ikeda here.
Umami is often referred to as the fifth basic taste, where the other four are: sweetness, saltiness, bitterness/bitterness and acidity. The umami flavor itself occurs when we register in the mouth the amino acid glutamic acid, its salts, e.g. sodium glutamate and a lot of other substances.
It's not only in seaweed that umami is found, but also in fish sauce, meat, dried mushrooms and various types of sauces.
The sugar kelp is a natural flavoring of umami and have been used for centuries to give soups and dishes a better taste and character to meals. Sugar tongs are also a climate-smart raw material as it binds carbon dioxide, phosphorus and nitrogen, thereby reducing eutrophication of our Swedish seas.
If you are looking to create more sustainable products and dishes with a differentiating ingredient - try sugar kelp and feel free to give us feedback on what you develop or work with at home in the kitchen!
