umami = flavor

http://no-carrots-please.blogspot.com/

Have you guys heard of the term umami in your restaurant review reading? I thought it was some kind of Japanese sauce that Craigie on Main was for some reason putting in their burger, but Wikipedia is telling me that it's just a Japanese term for...uh...flavor? To be more specific, it's neither sweet, sour, salty or bitter. It's umami. Other words like brothy, meaty, or savory are other incomplete synonyms of the word, and it's used to describe what gives the oomph in mushrooms, stocks, cheese and protein-heavy food. Interesting, huh? Maybe. But I still don't get it.

When I first realized it was a way to describe food, I first wondered if it had anything to do with the Korean term goo-soh-heh, which is used to describe things that taste rich or nutty, sesame oil possessing the quintessential goo-soh-hehness.

Shrug.

Ooh, here's an interesting NPR article about the discovery and science behind umami. I love NPR.