Gastronomy စားဖိုမွဴးပညာရပ္ေတြေလ.လာေတာမယ္ဆိုရင္ ဒါေလးေတြကို Professional Chefs ေတြသိျပီးသားျဖစ္မွာပါ Basically The discovery of umami Taking its name from Japanese, umami is a pleasant savoury taste imparted by glutamate, a type of amino acid, and ribonucleotides, including inosinate and guanylate, which occur naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products. As the taste of umami itself is subtle and blends well with other tastes to expand and round out flavors, most people dont recognize umami when they encounter it, but it plays an important role making food taste delicious. Food Acceptability and umami When humans eat, they use all of their senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste) to form general judgments about their food, but it is taste that is the most influential in determining how delicious a food is. Conventionally, it has been thought that our sense of taste is comprised of four basic, or primary, tastes, which cannot be replicated by mixing together any of the other primaries: sweet, sour, salt and bitter. However, it is now known that there is actually the fifth primary taste: umami. - The fifth taste Umami discovered by a Japanese scientist Dr. Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University Dashi stock made from kombu (kelp) has long been an indispensable part of Japanese cuisine. It has also long been known that the active ingredients contained within kombu hold the key to its delicious taste. This did not escape the attention of Dr. Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University, now the University of Tokyo, and he undertook research to ascertain the true nature of this deliciousness. In 1908, Ikeda succeeded in extracting glutamate from kombu. He discovered that glutamate (or glutamic acid) was the main active ingredient in kombu and coined the term umami to describe its taste. He was sure that this taste was held in common by other foods that a savory flavor, including those used in Western meals such as tomatoes and meat, and, indeed, upon investigation it was discovered that these foodstuffs also contained umami. Those who pay careful attention to their tastebuds will discover in the complex flavour of asparagus, tomatoes, cheese and meat, a common and yet absolutely singular taste which cannot be called sweet, or sour, or salty, or bitter... Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry, Washington 1912 Turning umami into a globally-recognized term In the wake of glutamate, other ingredients that offer the umami taste, namely inosinate which is found in bonito flakes, and guanylate which is present in shiitake mushroom stock, were discovered. The four basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty and bitter have been widely recognized for hundreds of years, but it wasnt until the 1980s that various studies proved that umami, found in glutamate, actually constituted a legitimate fifth basic taste. Since then, umamis status as the fifth taste has been recognized internationally. Umami culture around the world A comparison of umami ingredients from the East and the West Umami is actually used in various forms all over the world. In Asia, umami is mainly found in beans and grain, fermented seafood-based products, shiitake mushrooms, kombu and dried seafood. In Western cuisine, there are also fermented or cured products derived from meat and dairy products, namely ham and cheese. The most well-known ingredient is the tomato. Asian fermented seasonings 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, grains, etc., and 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. Fermented foods in Ancient Rome 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. Fish bones found inside a container from the Garum shop Courtesy: Dr. Curtis, University Georgia, USA The worldwide permeation of the umami taste of tomatoes Tomatoes, which originated in South America, were brought to Europe when Columbus discovered the continent. It appears that they were originally used for medicinal purposes, but in Italy they underwent a re-evaluation, and were used as a foodstuff, forming the basis of a wide variety of dishes, and are now an indispensable ingredient of Italian cuisine. In the UK, Worcester Sauce was made from tomatoes and a wide variety of other vegetables, and this was eventually exported to America, along with tomato sauce and paste, where a variety of processed foods such as ketchup and chili sauce were produced. Today, tomatoes are one of the most widely produced vegetables on the planet and their umami taste is appreciated all over the world. The synergistic effect of umami is employed in stock all over the world Stock is the basis of cooking all over the world. Various kinds of stock are made using a variety of ingredients, with kombu and bonito flakes being used in Japanese dashi, and meat and vegetables used in Western bouillon and Chinese tan. It can be said of all these types of stock, however, that they skilfully combine and draw out the umami flavour of the glutamate contained in kombu and vegetables and the inosinate found in bonito flakes and meat. Although the synergistic effect of umami was only discovered scientifically in 1960, this effect was being put to good use all over the world long before this in the form of stock. The composition of umami Amino acids - a crucial element in flavor The umami taste was initially found to appear with the presence of glutamate - a type of amino acid. After this discovery, research investigating the connection between amino acids - a structural element of protein - and the taste of food continued, and it was eventually discovered that each of the twenty kinds of amino acids possesses its own unique taste. The combination of these various tastes is an important element in determining the flavor of foods. Enhancing good taste - the synergistic effect of umami Apart from the amino acid glutamate, the umami taste is also given by the nucleotides inosinate, which can be found in meat and fish, and guanylate, which is found in mushrooms. The synergistic effect of these different types of umami has been scientifically proven - that is, that by combining these different kinds of umami, the umami taste is significantly magnified. Japanese people have been making use of ingredients containing different types of umami in their dashi stock, which forms the basis of many Japanese meals. Ichiban dashi, for example, contains kombu (kelp) which is rich in glutamate and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) which contain a large quantity of inosinate. These culinary conventions are the result of understanding the synergistic effect of umami through practical experience. Ways of combining umami The synergistic effect of umami has been put to use in Japanese, Western, Chinese and all kinds of cuisines throughout history. The Umami Boom Umami is nowadays attracting the attention of the chefs and the media all over the world, resulting in numerous articles on umami in major newspapers and magazines worldwide. This is partly because of the boom in Japanese food. The more popular Japanese food becomes, the more curious people become about what is behind the boom. Eventually they come to realize that umami plays a crucial role in popularity of Japanese food. In addition to well-balance and nutritious advantage of the Japanese food, umami, as its essential part, adds a new fresh value to it. On the other hand, we should not ignore the cutting-edge research that has been carried out in various fields since 1970s. Below you will find about umami in Japanese food and the science of umami. 1.Japanese food and umami Few people will deny that Japanese food is getting popular around the world. In major cities, such as New York, London, Paris and Shanghai, many people enjoy various Japanese dishes as well as sushi. Actually, in the United States, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) reported that the number of Japanese restaurants increased to 14,129 in 2010, up from 3,051 in 1992, and the export of sake to the U.S. is augmented to US$26,291,000 in 2006 from US$6,251,000 in 1996(*1,2). These reports indicate the popularity of Japanese foods and cuisine has increased rapidly and steadily. With this trend, more non-Japanese chefs are becoming enthusiasts for Japanese foods and are creating their original recipes with umami taste as a key of Japanese cuisine. It is clear that the healthy image of Japanese food is a key to this trend. As Dr. Kurihara, president of the Umami Information Center suggests that the main impetus for the Japanese food boom was triggered by the Senator George McGoverns report. In the 70s, US Senator George McGovern conducted a seven-year research project collaborating with world famous nutrition, health and medical specialists. It was summarized in the report, Dietary Goals For The United States which was prepared by the staff of the selected committee on nutrition and human needs of the US Senate, February 1977 (*3) He proposed six goals suggesting changes in food selection and preparation such as: ・ Increase consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. ・ Decrease consumption of meat and increase consumption of poultry and fish. ・ Decrease consumption of foods high in fat and partially substitute poly-unsaturated fat for saturated fat. Since these suggested guidelines just happened to be close to the Japanese traditional diet, Japanese food suddenly drew worldwide attention. The information results in more attention to the Japanese foods, and whats more, raises the popularity of umami as a characteristic traits of Japanese foods, and makes an awareness of the dashi as Japanese simple umami soup stock. It is well-known that umami and dashi bring satisfaction in low fat diet without sacrificing the taste. We have to wait for further researches to prove the health benefits of umami or dashi. In the meantime, many chefs are applying umami or dashi to their dish in creating their low fat recipes. 2. Scientists passion to identify umami The other four basic tastes, sweet, sour, bitter and salty, were found and recognized as basic tastes very early in history, on the other hand, it took so long for umami to be identified as a basic taste. Though umami is found in garum which was excavated in Ancient Roman historic site, it had been neither identified nor named for long. Compared to discovery of salt 5000 years ago, umami has carried the name only since 1908. Even after the discovery by Dr. Kikuknae Ikeda in 1908, it took some time that umami was recognized internationally compared to other four tastes, though it is commonly present in many foods, including tomatoes, mushrooms, cheeses, cured hams and anchovies. It is mainly because of its subtle properties, but in addition to that, the fact that these discoveries were all made by Japanese scientists, Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, Mr. Shintaro Kodama and Dr. Akira Kuninaka, may have contributed to its slow recognition. Initially, foreign scientists considered that only Japanese could detect umami. The idea that umami is a basic taste was not commonly shared at the beginning. In 1979, Japanese scientists published a paper in English entitled The Umami Taste at Joint US -Japan Science Conference. For too long, researchers had focused only on four tastes and, consequently, they studied only four; even though the matrix outlined by the German psychologist Hans Hening in 1916 already recognized that four tastes were insufficient. Finally, there was an explanation that accounted for some of the questions raised in taste physiology. After 1982, many scientists of Japan, America and Europe joined forces to research on umami. Psychophysical and electrophysiological studies showed that umami is independent of the traditional four tastes. Furthermore, a specific receptor for glutamate representing umami substances was identified. Now there is no doubt that umami is the fifth basic taste. Please check umami related academic papers at umamiinfo/academic-papers/ 3. Umami definitions in major English dictionaries The Japanese word umami has become an international term. Following texts are umami definitions appeared in major English dictionaries for your reference. Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary (Online) dictionary.cambridge.org a strong savoury taste that people recognize in foods such as cheese or mushrooms Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (Online) ldoceonline/dictionary/umami having a strong pleasant taste that is not sweet, sour, salty or bitter, especially like the taste found in meat, strong cheeses, tomatoes etc. Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Online) merriam-webster/dictionary/umami a taste sensation that is meaty or savory and is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides (as glutamate and aspartate) New Oxford Dictionary of English (Second Edition) Umami/u:ma:mi/noun (mass noun) a category of taste in food (besides sweet, sour, salt, and bitter), corresponding to the flavour of glutamates, especially monosodium glutamate. ORIGIN Japanese, literally deliciousness The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Fourth Edition) A taste that is characteristic of monosodium glutamate and associated with meats and other high-protein foods. It is sometimes considered to be a fifth basic taste along with sweetm, sour, salty, and bitter. Salt Reduction A range of health benefits of umami is steadily emerging. Let us focus here on the potential health effect of the glutamate-rich ingredients to reduce salt intake. It has been reported that the excess sodium intake significantly contribute to the high blood pressure, and hence to the prevalence of the hypertension and coronary heart disease (*1). However, the average sodium intake of most people exceeds the ideal sodium intake which is recommended for human health. While salty and umami tastes are in the basic tastes category and cannot replace each other, animal study indicated that umami substances could reduce the preference for sodium chloride (salt) (*2). This effect of umami substances was confirmed in human studies using complete foods. In a study conducted in Finland, the glutamate-added food could dramatically increase pleasantness and an acceptance of salt-reduced foods (*3). The comparable results were shown across the cultures (US, Japan) and food categories, by using not only salts of glutamate (*4) but also other umami ingredients, such as dried bonito stock (*5). Indeed, the Institute of Medicine of the US National Academies officially declared in April 2010 (*6).Combining glutamic acid with sodium creates the well-konwn flavoring compound monosodium glutamate, or MSG. MSG imparts a savory taste (called umami) as well as a salt taste to food. Some studies have shown that it is possible to maintain food palatability with a lowered overall sodium level in a food when MSG is substituted for some of the salt. This statement is the first official recognition about the role of umami compounds, and glutamate can play to help your health, while keeping your palate satisfied and happy! REFERENCES: *1 Dyer A. R. (1995) Dietary salt and blood pressure. Nature Med. 1: pp. 994. *2 Kimura S. et al. (1982) Effects of dietary protein level and umami on taste preferences for sodium chloride. In: Umami, a basic taste. Ed. Kawamura & Kare. Marcel Dekker Inc. New York, pp. 611. *3 Roininen K. et al., (1996) Effect of umami taste on pleasantness of low-salt soups during repeated testing. Physiol. Behav. 60: pp. 953. *4 Chi S. P., Chen T. C. (1992) Predicting optimum MSG and NaCl concentrations in chicken broth as affected by spice addition. J Food Proc. Preserv. 16: pp. 313. *5 Manabe M. (2008) Saltiness enhancement by the characteristic flavor of dried bonito stock. J. Food Sci. 73: pp. 321. *6 Institute of Medicine (2010): Taste and Flavor Roles of Sodium in Foods: A Unique Challenge to Reducing Sodium Intake. In: Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States, edited by Henney J.E. et al, pp.65 , The National Academy Press Washington, DC Tasting Umami / Now in the UIC web site the long-awaited umami tasting method. Our sense of taste is comprised of five basic tastes - sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami - and other related sensations - spicy and astringent. Among the other four basic tastes, the umami taste is more subtle, so most people dont recognize it easily, but we can detect it when taught to taste foods carefully. To learn how to identify umami taste and how to incorporate it in our cooking, it is important that all have the same experience. This is why the Umami Information Center always includes tasting of umami rich foods and dashi, Japanese soup stock, and bouillons during lectures. In Chapter Ⅰ, How to Experience Umami, we present umami rich ingredients and recipes. Then, Chapter Ⅱ How to Utilize Umami is dedicated to its application. We hope this article helps you to understand the umami taste. Tasting Contents Title Ingredients Umami Substances Glutamate Inosinate Guanylate Ⅰ. How to Experience Umami 1 Cherry tomatoes ◯ 2 Parmesan Cheese ◯ 3 Dry Cured Ham ◯ 4 Two types of cheese, same variety but their ages differ. ◯ 5 Dashi (Soup Stock) (1) Kombu Dashi ◯ (2) Katsuo Dashi ◯ (3) Dried Sardine Dashi ◯ (4) Dried Shiitake Mushroom Dashi ◯ (5) Vegetable Bouillon ◯ (6) Chicken Bouillon ◯ (7) Dried Tomatoes and Dried Morel Mushroom Dashi ◯ ◯ ◯ Ⅱ. How to Utilize Umami 1 Synergistic Effect (1) Kombu Dashi and Katsuo Dashi ◯ ◯ (2) Vegetable Bouillon and Chicken Bouillon ◯ ◯ 2 To Round the Tastes Vegetable Bouillon Vegetable Bouillon + MSG （Monosodium Glutamate） ◯ ◯ 3 Salt Reduction Effect Vegetable Bouillon Vegetable Bouillon + Chicken Bouillon ◯ ◯ ◯ ________________________________________ Glutamate is naturally present in most foods, such as meat, seafood and vegetables. Two kinds of nucleotides that contribute most to the umami taste, inosinate and guanylate, are also present in many foods. Inosinate is found primarily in meat, whereas guanylate is more abundant in vegetables. In Natural Occurrence, lower left, we deliver short stories featuring umami rich ingredients. Individual scores of umami rich foods, please go to umami levels lower right. Natural Occurrence ・Our First Taste of Umami ・Umami in Vegetables ・The New Role of Glutamate ・The Power of Kombu, Fluke Kobu-Jime ・Umami in Green Tea ・Umami-rich British Condiments ・Caviar vs Ikura: Comparison of Umami ・Umami in Kimchi ・Umami in Dry-Cured Hams ・Umami in Cheese Umami Recipe by Chef ・Expert’s view Umami Levels Click on each texts for extensive information and place cursor on other foods to see their umami levels. [ Seafood ] ・Kombu ・Seaweed ・Katsuobush/ Driedbonito flakes ・Niboshi/ Small dried sardines ・Bonito ・Mackerel ・Sea bream ・Tuna ・Cod ・Prawns ・Squid ・Oysters ・Shellfish [ Vegetables ] ・Tomatoes ・Shiitake mushrooms ・Enokitake mushrooms ・Truffles ・Soy beans ・Potatoes ・Sweet potatoes ・Chinese cabbage ・Carrots [ Meat ] ・Beef ・Pork ・Chicken [ Others ] ・Parmesan Cheese ・Green tea ・Soy sauce ・Chicken Egg ・Oyster Sauce
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 04:20:09 +0000
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