Umami joins tastes such as sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. These are all unique and cannot be created by mixing other tastes – they are known as primary tastes. Umami provides a pleasant, savory sensation that balances the four other options.

The origin of “Umami”, the fifth taste, began with the two founding fathers of the Ajinomoto Group: Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, Discoverer of the umami taste and Saburosuke Suzuki II, Founder of the Ajinomoto Group.

Japanese professor Dr. Ikeda identified glutamate as the substance responsible for a new taste. Ikeda’s discovered Umami as he experimented with broth made from seaweed (kombu). Through careful research of the kombu broth, Dr. Ikeda discovered glutamate, an amino acid, gave kombu the distinctive taste and proceeded to invent a method for producing Umami sauces and seasoning that highlights glutamate as a key component.

With the discovery of umami, Dr. Ikeda was determined to “improve the nutrition of the Japanese people” through healthy and delicious foods. Businessman Saburosuke Suzuki II also shared this vision and launched a business to begin marketing the first Umami seasoning: AJI-NO-MOTO® in 1909.

This deep, intense flavor can be found through proteins like pork, beef, fish, and shellfish, which make strong umami foundations. Vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms, and seaweed, are also high in glutamate (umami).

Over the years, Umami has become an increasingly popular topic and the growing use of Umami has increased globally. Many people worldwide have adopted the taste into their cooking. Some of the benefits of Umami seasoning include:

It contributes to a healthier diet as the savory flavor can still be reached with Umami and lower sodium.

It highlights the intrinsic flavors of the ingredients.

It improves the quality of life for the elderly. Umami is believed to promote salivation and heighten the sense of taste, thus improving their quality of life.

To read further about Umami, please visit the Umami Information Center.

For further resources and information about Umami, please visit our new Global Umami Site.