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Health & Fitness

You Can't Spell Umami Without Plenty of 'Mmmm'

Have you ever eaten something that just made you go, "mmmmm?" That's Umami.

What was the best thing you have ever eaten? Was there ever something so amazing and delicious that it touched your soul? Something so rich and full of flavor that made you say, "Wow!"

For me, there were two occasions when I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. The first was over a bowl of wild mushroom risotto. So earthy, so warm, so yummy. Like comfort food. The second was an amazing piece of toro (fatty tuna belly) that was lightly painted with a homemade shoyu sauce. Mmmmmm. I can remember it so clearly.

Both of these experiences have something in common—"umami." Umami is known as the "fifth taste." Sure we know all about the four tastes—sweet, salty, sour, bitter—but did you know about umami? Umami (pronounced oo-MAH-mee) is a Japanese word for a taste that can't be categorized as one of the four tastes we traditionally recognize: sweet, salty, sour, or bitter. It is often referred to as the "fifth taste," and is usually described as meaty, savory, or earthy. In Japanese, Umami means "delicious" or "yummy."

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Foods that are umami contain glutamic acid. When converted to L-glutamate, it gives that food its special properties. The taste of umami itself is subtle and blends well with other tastes to expand and round out flavors. You probably don’t recognize umami when you encounter it, but it plays an important role making food taste delicious.

Foods rich in umami include: tuna, cod, shellfish, shrimp, oysters, mushrooms, seaweed, beef, pork, chicken, asparagus, soy beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes, tomatoes, green tea, cabbage, and parmesan cheese

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Even if you're not much of a cook, you can still get your umami fix by dining out.

There's a new restaurant chain devoted to all things umami, not surprisingly named "Umami Burger" with a location in Costa Mesa. While I haven't yet been, my umami sense is tingling, making me think I'd ought to get there soon and satisfy my umami craving.

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