Umami flavor, a word that means delicious flavor, is present in foods rich in amino acids, especially glutamate, such as meat, seafood, cheese, tomatoes and onions. Umami enhances the taste of food and stimulates the production of saliva, increasing the interaction of food with the taste buds and bringing a heightened sense of pleasure when eating.
This flavor is felt after the perception of sweet and sour flavors, and the food and fast food industry often adds a flavor enhancer called monosodium glutamate to enhance the umami taste of food, making it more pleasurable and addictive.
Food with Umami taste
Foods that have umami flavor are those rich in amino acids and nucleotides, especially those that have the substances glutamate, inosinate and guanylate, such as:
- Protein-rich foods: meat, chicken, eggs and seafood; Vegetables: carrots, peas, corn, ripe tomatoes, potatoes, onions, walnuts, asparagus, cabbage, spinach; Strong cheeses, such as parmesan, cheddar and emental; Industrialized products: soy sauce, ready-made soups, frozen ready food, diced seasoning, instant noodles, fast food.
To learn how to taste umami more, one must pay attention, for example, to the end of the taste of a very ripe tomato. Initially, the acid and bitter taste of tomatoes appears, and then comes the umami flavor. The same procedure can be done with Parmesan cheese.
Pasta recipe to feel Umami
Pasta is the perfect dish to taste the umami flavor, as it is rich in foods that bring that flavor: meat, tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1 chopped onion, garlic, pepper and salt to taste2 tablespoons of olive oil or tomato extract to taste2 chopped tomatoes500 g of pasta500 g of ground meat3 tablespoons of grated parmesan
Preparation:
Put the pasta to cook in boiling water. Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until golden brown. Add the ground meat and cook for a few minutes, adding the spices to taste (parsley, pepper and salt). Add the tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes, allowing to cook for approximately 30 minutes over low heat with the pan half covered or until the meat is cooked. Mix the sauce with the pasta and add the grated parmesan on top. Serve hot.
How the industry uses umami to addict
The food industry adds a flavor enhancer called monosodium glutamate to make foods more delicious and addictive. This artificial substance simulates the umami flavor present in natural foods and increases the feeling of pleasure felt when eating.
Thus, when consuming a fast food hamburger, for example, this additive enhances the good experience of the food, making the consumer fall in love with that flavor and consume more of these products. However, the excessive consumption of industrialized products rich in monosodium glutamate, such as hamburgers, frozen food, ready-made soups, instant noodles and spice cubes is linked to weight gain and obesity.
