Umami

A savory taste produced by free amino acids and nucleotides, umami gained widespread recognition as the fifth taste in 2000 when scientists located glutamate receptors on the tongue. The discovery of umami, however, dates back to 1908 when Kikunae Ikeda traced the savory taste of kelp to glutamic acid. He named the savory quality of glutamate umami and hypothesized that it was the fifth taste. By 1909, Ikeda had manufactured and patented glutamate in the form of monosodium glutamate (MSG), which gained widespread popularity as a flavor enhancer in Asia and the United States. Since then, scientific research into umami as well as its rising popularity as a flavor enhancer has been fueled, in large part, by the processed food industry. After discussing the development ...