I have been obsessed with Umami paste since I read an article about it in 2009. Umami is taken from a Japanese word meaning “pleasant savory taste”. It is said that Umami provides us with a fifth taste. The main four tastes that we know and love are sweet, sour, salt and bitter. So what does this fifth taste, taste like?
Some say it is the ‘yummy factor’ in food, that indescribable taste that makes food moreish and addictive. The essence and components of Umami are still shrouded in mystery, but what is interesting is that by increasing the Umami flavor of a dish, you can reduce the amount of butter, fat and cream. Umami could revolutionize the diet industry. Certain foods are naturally rich in Umami. Tomatoes, (particularly sun-dried and ketchup) – That must be why I love ketchup so much! Cured and smoked meats, anchovies, parmesan, soy sauce and many oriental fish sauces are also naturally full of umami flavour.
Of course a couple of food companies have taken all this on board and it’s now possible to buy Umami paste. The paste I used is created by Laura Santtini and it’s called Taste no. 5. It is a concentrated blend of lots of umami rich foods (porcini mushrooms, garlic, tomato and other stuff!). You can add this paste to pasta sauces, risottos, stews etc. I bought mine in Superquinn and to be honest I’m still not that convinced about it. However I know a couple of people who use this paste all the time and are showing serious signs of addiction! So perhaps Umami is a personal thing. I do use it from time to time and it’s especially nice in a cheese toastie. That said, I usually prefer to get my umami kick knawing on lump of Parmesan cheese and drowning my chips in ketchup.
For more information on Umami, check out this very informative article in The Times (UK).
