Umami Culture Around the World

Throughout history, human beings have created various seasonings and condiments to improve the taste of food. Salt, sugar, and vinegar have been familiar flavor-enhancers for thousands of years and this is why we can all readily imagine sweet, sour, and salty tastes. Umami too is contained in a variety of foods, and is familiar to us from the taste of traditional foods, such as soy sauce, miso, and cheese. However, it is only around a century ago that umami was discovered as a basic taste, when monosodium glutamate was invented and launched as an umami seasoning.

It was long thought that there were only four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Then a scientist in Japan – Professor Kikunae Ikeda from Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo) – noticed the presence of a taste that did not fit into any of these categories. Professor Ikeda discovered the main taste component in kombu dashi (broth or stock) to be glutamate, and named it “umami”. The professor also wrote an academic paper explaining the existence of umami as one of the basic tastes. Following in Professor Ikeda’s footsteps, other Japanese scientists have discovered the umami substances inosinate and guanylate.

Throughout the Ancient Roman Empire, fermented fish sauces called garum and liquamen were used as seasonings. These ingredients were equally as important as wine and olive oil. They were produced in the same way as the fermented condiments of South East Asia, with fish, such as sardines and mackerels, being salted and fermented. In particular, the amber-colored garum extracted first from the fermentation process was most highly prized. The famous ‘Apecius Cookbook’ of Ancient Rome contains many recipes where, in times when there was no sugar or salt, garum was frequently used. One could say that garum was prized as a condiment which combined umami and saltiness. The use of garum died out along with the Roman Empire, however anchovy paste and sauce can be seen as its modern counterpart.

Different types of fermented seasoning can be found throughout the world. Fish sauces, such as Num Pla in Thailand and Nuoc Mum in Vietnam, along with a range of fermented products typified by miso and soy sauce, have long been used and appreciated in Asian countries. Fermented condiments are made by adding salt to fish, beans, and grains, allowing them to ferment. During the fermentation process, proteins are broken down into their constituent amino acids, and a condiment which contains high quantities of glutamate is produced. Particularly in Asian countries with a tradition of wet rice cultivation, daily cooking which does not include the addition of seasonings, is unimaginable. This is a particular characteristic of countries where white rice, vegetables, and fish form the staple diet. Rice based diets and simple forms of umami are very closely linked.