You probably eat umami all the time: It's that meaty, savory, brothlike, full-flavor taste we get from things like Parmesan cheese, mushrooms and red wine. Generally speaking, the more "mature" a food is (say, a Parmesan cheese versus a "younger" cheese like mozzarella), the more umami flavor it will have.

Conventional wisdom used to tell us that there were only four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Now, in the last decade, umami has been established as the "fifth" basic taste, and is gaining in popularity and influence.

The name umami was coined in Japan a century ago, when the taste (found in Eastern staples like seaweed) was first identified as unique.

So what is the difference between taste and flavor? Well, try this quick test with a flavored jelly bean. Put one in your mouth and chew it while holding your nose. You may taste a sweet sensation, but that's it. Then, release your nose. When you do, the fullness of the jelly bean flavor will come rushing through, whether it be bubble-gum or lemon drop. This is because our olfactory senses are necessary for completing many of the flavors we experience. That's not the case with the basic tastes, which are detected solely by the tongue.

The tongue has 10,000 taste buds, each containing specific cells that are designed to be receptors for the sensations of sweet, salty, sour, bitter or umami. The Western "umami" breakthrough came in 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami discovered a specific receptor designed to recognize glutamate, one of the principal amino acids that give off the umami taste.

David Kasabian, author of "Umami: Cooking with the Fifth Taste," says understanding umami can be helpful in a number of ways. "The truth of the matter is foods that have umami we find to be very delicious and very satisfying. Foods that don't have umami we tend to find very insipid and very thin and not very satisfying. And as a result we eat more food. So, umami-rich food creates satisfaction.

"Also, umami makes salt taste saltier. So, if you want to reduce the amount of sodium that's in your diet, you make sure you have a lot of umami in your food and you don't have to salt it as much. Finally, umami creates a sensation that chefs call mouth-feel. We tend to think of mouth-feel as the sensation we get from eating fat. So, again, we can reduce the amount of fat that's in our food by making sure that we've got enough umami in that food."

Tacos de Puerco Enchipotlado con Salsa de Jitomate Pasado
Spicy Chipotle Pork Tacos with Sun-Dried Tomato Salsa
2 (about 1 pound total) pork tenderloins
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles en adobo
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup (about 2 ounces) sun-dried tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, finely chopped (a generous 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped, pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
About 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, rich-tasting pork lard or bacon drippings
12 fresh, warm corn tortillas (reheat store-bought ones or make them from scratch)
Butterflying and marinating the pork: Lay 1 tenderloin on your cutting board and cut it in half. Now, with a sharp knife, make a horizontal cut through 1 half pound the pork to between 1/4 to 1/8-inch thickness.

In a food processor or blender, thoroughly puree the chipotles and all the canning sauce. With a pastry or basting brush, liberally paint the meat on both sides with the pureed chipotles.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours). Repeat with the other tenderloin pieces.

Soaking the sun-dried tomatoes: In a small saucepan bring the orange juice just to a boil. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, stir well, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand, stirring once or twice, until softened, about 20 minutes.

Salsa: Scrape the soaked tomatoes and the juice into a food processor or blender, and measure in 1 tablespoon of chipotle puree. Pulse the processor until the tomatoes are rather finely chopped (not pureed). Scrape into a small serving bowl. Rinse the chopped onion under cold water, shake off the excess liquid and add it to the salsa along with the olives, cilantro and the lime juice. Stir everything together, then taste and season with salt, usually about 1/4 teaspoon. Adjust the consistency to that of an easily spoonable salsa with additional juice or water if needed. Set aside at room temperature while you cook the meat. Searing the meat: Set a large (12-inch) heavy well-seasoned or non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add the lard, oil or bacon drippings, brushing or spreading it around to evenly coat the surface.

Lay on one of the marinated meat pieces in a single layer.

Sear on one side until beginning to brown (2 to 3 minutes), flip it over, and sear the other side about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer and keep warm in the oven.
Chop or slice the meat into smallish pieces and scoop into a warm serving bowl. Set on the table along with the salsa and warm tortillas, and your meal is ready.

Spicy Sour Botan Shrimp
Ingredients
8 fresh Shrimp, about 1-1/2 ounces (40g)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 broccoli floret, cut at stems
2 tablespoons clarified butter
8 tablespoons Spicy Sour Sauce
3-1/2 ounces (100g) enoki mushrooms
10 chives, cut into lengths about 1-1/2 inches (4cm)

Method

1. Prepare the shrimp: Remove the heads, then shell and devein. Rinse briefly in cold water and drain. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper.
2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of sea salt. Add the broccoli and boil for 1-1/2 minutes. Plunge briefly into iced water and drain.
3. Heat a medium frying pan over high heat. Add the butter and sauté the shrimp. When the shrimp turn opaque, add the Spicy Sour Sauce, broccoli, mushrooms and chives and stir-fry briefly.
4. Transfer to a serving dish.
Spicy Sour Sauce
1 cup (200ml) lemon juice
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, passed through sieve
scant tablespoon light soy sauce
scant tablespoon soy sauce
Combine all the ingredients.
by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa

Asparagus frittata
From "The Fifth Taste: Cooking with Umami"
A Frittata is an Italian-style open-faced omelet, cooked slowly on the stovetop then finished under the broiler. Although it is a simple, rustic dish, it takes some time and effort. But it pays off with rich, deep flavors and satisfying textures. The asparagus, eggs, cheese, tomatoes and olives are all rich in umami.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 spears pencil-thin asparagus
1 medium red onion, 1/4" slices
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Parmigano-Reggiano cheese, coarsely grated
1 small ripe red Roma tomato, diced
1 tablespoon green olives, sliced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Wash, trim and blanch the asparagus.

Heat the olive oil on medium in an 8" nonstick fry pan with a heat-resistant handle. Add the onions, shallots and salt and toss to coat. Caramelize them by cooking them very slowly (they should barely sizzle), stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Set aside to cool.
Thoroughly mix the cheese, tomato, olives, pepper and cooled onion and shallots into the beaten eggs. Reheat the oil in the pan on medium. When a drop of water tossed into the pan sizzles loudly, add the egg mixture, stirring briefly to distribute the fillings. Turn burner to low and let the mixture cook slowly. You should see just a few lazy bubbles popping up around the edges. Cook undisturbed until the edges are cooked but the middle is still very liquid, about 8 minutes.
Put the pan under a medium broiler until the top of the frittata is golden brown, the edges are puffed up and the center is just set (the center will jiggle slightly but pops right back after you poke it), about 2 minutes. Don't overcook it! Loosen with a nonscratch spatula, if needed. Move to a warmed platter and serve right away.

By Chef John Gilbertson
Sanford Medical Center