Umami is a flavour that has now been identified as a basic taste along with bitter, salty, sweet and sour. It is best described as a meaty, savoury flavour. There are many foods that are packed with umami flavour. Since they are naturally flavourful, you do not need to season them too much and that is one of the main reasons why these food items are so healthy.
Top food items with the umami flavour
- Soy-based foods:
Soybeans naturally contain glutamate, a component that offers umami flavours. When soy is fermented and broken down to make other items such as soya sauce, tofu, etc, higher levels of glutamate are released. This is responsible for giving soya natural umami flavour.
- Green tea:
Green tea is always consumed without any additives. This is because it has a beautiful, smooth umami flavour. And as we all know, green tea is packed with nutrients, so having a cup of it proves to be beneficial for your health as well.
- Chicken:
Many types of meat, including chicken, are packed with natural umami flavours. This gives the meat a distinct taste and when you cook it with added spices and seasonings, the taste develops even further. Chicken contains both glutamate and inosinate. These elements give a deep umami flavour to the meat. While 100 gm of chicken has about 50 mg of glutamate, it has over 200 mg of inosinate.
- Tomatoes:
Tomatoes have a very distinct flavour and that is mainly because they are one of the few plant-based foods to be loaded with glutamic acid. For every 3.5 ounces of regular tomatoes, you get 150–250 mg of glutamic acid. This gives a very pleasant taste to these beautiful, red vegetables.
- Mushrooms:
Next on the list, we have mushrooms. Mushrooms are very delicious and offer a meaty texture. Most types of mushrooms have high amounts of glutamic acid in them, but the highest levels are found in shiitake mushrooms with over 1,060 mg for every 100 gm of mushroom.
- Garlic:
Garlic is a wonder food that has several health benefits. However, garlic is also popular for its distinct taste and flavour, much of which is umami in nature. You get 100 mg of glutamic acid in 100 gm of garlic. This is quite a high value and gives garlic a beautiful, rich and meaty umami flavour.
These are some of the most common foods with a natural umami flavour. They are widely available too, so give them a try.
The bottom line
Now that you know more about glutamate and inosinate and how they are responsible for making certain foods taste a certain way, you can start including these healthy ingredients in your daily cooking. Umami is a very interesting flavour and it gives a distinct taste to the food you make. Look for some great recipes involving the food items listed below and make some of the best and most lip-smacking recipes for yourself and your loved ones.
