Umami

Umami is the fifth basic taste — a savoury, mouth-coating depth produced by glutamates and nucleotides. It is not a flavour in itself so much as a multiplier: it makes other flavours taste more of themselves, lengthens finish, and creates the sensation of richness and satisfaction that marks a well-seasoned dish.

2026-04-30 — First time on the wagyu short rib braise.

2026-05-07 — Second cook.

2026-05-04 — Three-hour ragù for Sunday.

2026-05-09 — Cooked for friends.

Sources of Umami

Glutamates occur naturally in high concentration in:

• Soy sauce — fermented; extremely high glutamate content
• Mirin — adds sweetness and mild umami alongside
• Aged cheese — parmesan, pecorino, blue
• Fish sauce — fermented fish; very high glutamate
• Tomatoes — especially cooked or concentrated
• Mushrooms — dried shiitake, porcini, morel
• Seaweed / wakame — briny minerality alongside glutamates; adds a distinctly oceanic umami register
• MSG — pure monosodium glutamate; see below

MSG

MSG (monosodium glutamate) is the isolated sodium salt of glutamic acid. It dissolves completely into liquid and amplifies umami without adding any distinct flavour of its own. It does not taste artificial when used at appropriate quantities.

MSG is standard practice in Japanese home cooking and across much of East and Southeast Asian cuisine. The stigma around it in Western contexts is not supported by evidence — the same glutamate is present in natural high-umami ingredients. MSG allows precise, controlled umami addition.

Practical use: A small amount (¾ tsp for 900g meat and ~350ml liquid) is sufficient. It works best dissolved into liquid, not as a surface seasoning.

Layering Umami

The most effective approach is to layer multiple glutamate sources rather than rely on one. The wagyu short rib braise demonstrates this: soy sauce + mirin + MSG + wakame produces a braising liquid with exceptional umami depth from four different vectors. Each source contributes a slightly different character — soy brings salt-forward depth, mirin adds sweetness, MSG adds clean amplification, wakame adds minerality.

The same principle applies in other contexts: a ragu improved with tomato paste + parmesan rind + fish sauce is using the same logic.

Umami vs. Salt

Umami is not the same as salt, though they interact. Umami can reduce the perceived need for salt — a well-umami'd dish tastes more complete at lower sodium levels. This is why high-glutamate ingredients (soy, parmesan, fish sauce) feel so satisfying: they trigger both salt and umami receptors simultaneously.

In the Wiki

• flavour-science — the broader science of flavour balance and chemistry
• braising — umami layering in braising liquid
• korean-cuisine — soy, gochujang (fermented), sesame oil as umami contributors

Sources

• 2026-04-19 Japanese Wagyu Short Rib Braise — explicit use of MSG + soy + mirin + wakame as layered umami
• 2026-04-19 Gochujang Glazed Butterflied Pork Loin — soy + gochujang (fermented) as umami base in Korean glaze