Umami
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Umami (Japanese: 旨み、旨味、うまみ) is one of the five basic tastes sensed by specialized receptor cells present on the human tongue. [1] Umami is a Japanese word meaning "savory" or "meaty" and thus applies to the sensation of savoriness -- specifically, to the detection of glutamates, which are especially common in meats, cheese and other protein-heavy foods. The action of umami receptors explains why foods treated with monosodium glutamate often taste fuller or just better.
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[edit] Discovery
Umami was first identified as a taste in 1908 by Kikunae Ikeda of the Tokyo Imperial University while researching the strong flavor in seaweed broth. Ikeda isolated monosodium glutamate as the chemical responsible, and with the help of the Ajinomoto company began commercial distribution of MSG products.
[edit] Discovery of taste receptors
Umami, which has been quietly enjoyed by Eastern civilizations for years, was recently brought to the forefront of western thought by the discovery by the University of Miami of the actual receptors responsible for the sense of umami, a modified form of mGluR4, in which the end of the molecule is missing. The researchers named it 'taste-mGluR4'. The discovery of the receptor is interesting especially since the receptor for bitter has not yet been identified.
