Umami is the core fifth taste. Scientists identified umami taste receptors on the human tongue in 2002 (alongside the sweet, sour, bitter, and salty taste buds). Meaning that umami is an inherent taste universally enjoyed.

Umami was first identified by Japanese scientist Dr. Kikunae Ikeda. While enjoying a bowl of kelp broth called kombu dashi, he noticed that the savory flavor was distinct from the four basic tastes of sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. He named this additional taste “umami,” which literally means “essence of deliciousness” in Japanese.

Umami taste spreads across the tongue, lasts longer than other basic tastes and provides a mouthwatering sensation.



MSG 

To get technical, umami is the taste of glutamate, an amino acid that is one of the building blocks of protein. Glutamate occurs naturally in the human body and in many delicious foods we eat every day, including, but certainly not limited to, aged cheeses, cured meats, tomatoes, mushrooms, salmon, steak, anchovies, green tea—and the list goes on.

MSG is a popular food additive and helps to enhance savoury flavours in foods. Known widely as MSG or E621, monosodium glutamate is the sodium salt derived from glutamic acid, an amino acid that is naturally occurring and necessary for the creation of proteins. About 10 to 25% of all food protein – from both animal and plant sources – is comprised of glutamic acid.

Widely known as a flavour enhancer, MSG  heightens the umami flavour in their food products – that salty, savoury, meaty flavour that makes our mouths water! It does not, however, add any flavour of its own and does not enhance fruity or sweet flavours. MSG enhances the flavour of salty, savoury foods and is lower in sodium than salt – it contains only a third of the amount of sodium you would find in salt. Researchers have recently found that including MSG in food may even help reduce excessive salt intake, which can contribute to cardiovascular disease. MSG is added to food before or during cooking. Add it at the same time during the cooking process as you would add salt, pepper or other seasonings. Approximately one-half teaspoon of MSG is an effective amount to enhance the flavor of a pound of meat or four-to-six servings of vegetables, casseroles or soup.

However, some people who may have a hypersensitivity to MSG and consume foods with it as an ingredient may experience the following adverse reactions, such as headache, flushing, sweating etc. Though no study has provided a definitive link between these symptoms and MSG intake, researchers have acknowledged that some people have experienced the above reactions for a short period of time after consuming foods with MSG in them.


Yondu


Yondu Vegetable Umami is a well-balanced versatile seasoning that brings out the inherent flavor of your ingredients.  Non-GMO and organic soybeans are slowly fermented in three stages to bring out savory flavors. This base is blended with the concentrated broth of six different vegetables ( Organic Soybean Essence (Organic Soybean, Water, Salt), Organic Vegetable Stock (White Radish, Cabbage, Leek, Shiitake, Garlic), Yeast Extract)  to balance and add delicate complexity.   Soybeans have some of the highest concentrations of proteins out there (even compared to meat and seafood). When we ferment soybeans, we break down proteins into complex and naturally occurring amino acids and peptides. Our taste buds perceive amino acids and peptides as delicious, rich, savory flavor.

 It enhances the flavors of each individual ingredient while balancing the overall taste. It helps you enjoy more plant-based dishes and makes any dish taste amazing without adding extra salt, oil or butter. It reduces your cooking time and need for extra spices, since Yondu gives depth of flavor, as if your meal has been slowly simmered for a long time. Yondu is the perfect plant-based alternative to meaty and umami-rich flavors such as dashi, MSG or oyster sauce.

Once you start cooking with it, Yondu becomes your dependable pantry staple in the kitchen!

Just a few drops of Yondu will make your dishes taste amazing. Simply use it just like salt while cooking, and season to taste!


 Shio Koji

Shio koji is a popular Japanese condiment frequently used in marinades or as seasoning in Japanese cuisine. Its unique qualities make it an excellent ingredient for tenderising meat or firming up fresh fish prior to cooking, though it is also prized as a subtle (yet delicious) way to enhance the flavour of your food. Shio koji is a white, lumpy paste made by combining koji spores (sometimes written as kōji or kouji), water, rice and salt allowing them to ferment. The resulting product – shio koji – is rich in natural enzymes that work as powerful flavour enhancers for a wide variety of ingredients. Grown on rice grains, koji is the ‘mother’ for a huge variety of fermented Japanese foods like sake, soy sauce and miso.


 If you have the time and the equipment, you can make shio koji at home with just a handful of ingredients. You need koji rice (that’s rice grains mixed with the kōji bacteria aspergillus oryzae), fine sea salt, and mineral water. You will also need a sterilised jar into which you can mix these ingredients and set them aside to ferment for 24hrs at 56°C. If that sounds like too much hassle, you can buy ready-made liquid shio koji  here.

 Regular shio koji has a subtle taste, combining the salty, umami flavour of soy sauce with some sweet, floral notes from the kōji bacteria. It’s a delicious and healthy alternative to salt, but really comes into its own as a flavour enhancer for other ingredients.  Shio koji is a fermented product and, when utilised as a marinade, the koji spores break down the enzymes and convert proteins and starches into complex sugars and amino acids which bring out natural sweetness and umami.   It’s important to keep this in mind when using as a marinade, and wipe the surface of your meat from any excess before grilling or searing over high heats to avoid burning.

You can mix shio koji directly into soups and sauces as a seasoning. The complex umami flavours make it an interesting and healthy alternative to salt. You can even forgo the lumpiness of the ingredient by putting it through a blender first until it is smooth. Alternatively, you bypass that step by purchasing a bottle of liquid koji, which retains all those subtle, savoury flavour notes.


Shio koji works also well (and quickly) as a pickling medium. You can pickle vegetables like cucumbers or daikon in shio koji and have them ready for eating within 24 hours!