oo-MAH-mee or Umami

About a week ago my husband (Eric) and I were watching the Food Network when the word umami was mentioned. This was something Eric had never heard before and a concept he just can't seem to wrap his head around. Everyday he's asked another of our friends and family if they know about umami, and if so they can explain it in their own words.


Here's the deal on umami. In 1908 a Tokyo Imperial University researcher identified this fifth taste and called it Umami. Umami has no exact word to translate into the English language, which is perhaps why Eric has had such difficult time understanding what makes something umami.  Kikunae Ikeda determine that this new taste could be created by adding glutamic acid (glutimate) and thus MSG (commonly found in Asian food) was developed. This intensifies sweet and salty flavors to balance out the sour and bitter. 


In the Eastern world when something is describes as umami it usually means it possesses a savory or delicious quality, which makes us want to eat more of it. It's almost the combination of all the flavor together that produce this fifth sense. It's really more of a sensation than a definitive taste.  Things that can be describes as umami include anchovies, aged cheese, fish sauce, cured meats, wine and mushrooms. 


Additional umami rich foods: 

• Worcestershire Sauce
• Sauerkraut
• Beer
• Red Wine
• Pickled herring
• Broths and stocks
• Roquefort cheese
• Corn
• Potatoes
• Asparagus
• Ketchup

Sharon Tyler Herbst & Ron Herbst, The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion: (New York: Barron's, 2009) 449

Food for thought - Cooking Class

I'm trying to gather some information about cooking learning and exploring. If you were to go to a cooking class what would you want to learn? How much or how little do you know about food, ingredients, techniques etc...? Are you culinarily challenged, are you Tomato Snob looking for new ways to spice up your repetoire? Do you have a list of signature dishes you make all the time - is your family sick of your signature dishes that you make all the time. Are you the type of person who buys cook books. Have you ever watched an online tutorial on how to _____? Do you follow recipes? Do you write your own recipes? How do you decide what's for dinner? Tell me more... Do you watch the Food Network? If you do watch the food network who's show do you love? Who's show do you hate? What style of cooking intrigues you most? What type of food do you like the best? Have you ever been to a cooking class? If so what was it like? What did you make? Did you enjoy the experience? Did you wish you had spent your money on fancy dinner out with a lover instead. Did you learn things you could apply in your everyday cooking. Did you find you knew more then the person teaching you? Please tell me! Write me @ thetomatosnob@gmail.com or click comment and give us some insight. Looking forward to your food for thought. Chow for now!