If you read my series on salt (and I’m sure you, my avid fan base, hungrily consumed each editorial serving) then the concept of ‘umami’ is not foreign. Umami is one of the basic senses of taste, along with sweet, sour, bitter and of course, salty! In short, umami denotes our ability to detect savory flavors, and is best known for its association with MSG, which triggers this particular sense of taste. Apparently, umami has now hit the mainstream, as evidenced by this very good article published recently in the Wall Street Journal:
“A New Taste Sensation”
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119706514515417586.html
Yum.
– Chris