Enhancing Umami Taste

Experience tells us that when vegetables are in season their taste and flavor are in perfect balance. As they ripen, the level of many taste components, including free amino acids, increases. Free glutamate levels, in particular, reach a peak when the umami taste is optimal. As green tomatoes ripen to rich red, the level of free glutamate increases ten-fold.

Cooking is a way of increasing umami in savory foods. It results in the release of free glutamate and other umami substances, enhancing umami and creating a deliciously balanced final dish.

The different processes undertaken during curing meat or fish result in the breakdown of some of the protein, therefore releasing amino acids. So curing not only preserves the food but also enhances umami.

The taste of cheese becomes stronger and develops character as it ripens. During maturation the proteins in the cheese are broken down, eventually to free amino acids. In strong, mature cheeses, free glutamate dominates delivering a powerful umami taste.

Increasing the level of free glutamate in a dish, during cooking or processing, is a simple and effective way to increase umami taste and balance. In recipe development, glutamate is added at levels similar to those in traditional recipes. The taste can also be enhanced by using glutamate-rich condiments to season the dish before serving or at the table.