Today's Word 👉 Umami

A savory, mouth-filling taste—considered the “fifth taste” alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter

September 04, 2025

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Umami (oo-MAH-mee) (noun): A savory, mouth-filling taste—considered the “fifth taste” alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.

“Umami is the taste that brings depth to food—it’s what makes a tomato rich, a mushroom earthy, and a piece of parmesan unforgettable.”

— The Fifth Taste: Cooking with Umami by Anna & David Kasabian

First published 2005

In The Fifth Taste, Kasabian explores how this once “mysterious” flavor was discovered in Japan in the early 1900s and how it’s been shaping cuisines around the world for centuries—even when chefs didn’t have a name for it.

SMARTER INSIGHT
Umami is like the background music of flavor—it doesn’t shout like salt or sugar, but without it, food feels flat. It’s why broth comforts you, why soy sauce transforms a dish, and why aged cheese feels so satisfying.

USE IT TODAY
Next meal, notice if your food has depth or feels one-dimensional. A sprinkle of parmesan, a dash of soy sauce, or some roasted mushrooms might be the small but mighty tweak you need to awaken umami power.

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