What is Umami?
For those of you that don’t already know, Umami is one of the five basic tastes. It is described as a savoury flavour with moreish qualities. Leaving you wanting more, it is often found in condiments such as soy sauce or tomato ketchup. There is even evidence that suggests that the Roman’s enjoyed umami, favouring a fermented anchovy sauce known as liquamen.
Since when?
You would be forgiven for not knowing what umami is. We haven’t made it up, honest! If you have never heard of it, that might be because it has only just been recently accepted by western society. The word umami actually comes from Japanese origin and is loosely translated to delicious. Its name is Japanese because the scientist who first identified it was… you guessed it, Japanese. Umami was the term given to the taste by chemist, Kikunae Ikeda in 1908. He had realised that a group of foods had this quality in common and continued to investigate them until he identified the main source of umami.
Common Denominator
Keen to find out what causes this deliciousness? Well, it’s glutamate! Ikeda eventually learned how to produce this amino acid on an industrial scale. It was able to be added to food to increase palatability. Today we know it is MSG (mono-sodium glutamate) and can be found in foods such as cheese, tomatoes and meat. Interestingly, human milk is one of the highest containing mammalian milks. Which makes sense as it needs to be appealing! It’s also abundant in gravy and dashi. Dashi is an ingredient at the base of Japanese cooking, such as ramen and is made from seaweed!
Seaweed in Cooking
Seaweed is an ingredient that really punches above its weight and really packs a punch too. It contains a whole range of vitamins and minerals, namely iodine. While it boasts a complete profile of EAA (Essential Amino Acids), and contains a high quantity of MSG. This makes it an ideal ingredient and can be used to give a flavour boost to soups, salads, meat… anything! Not only does it make food more palatable, but it also allows for a reduction in the amount of salt used.
As a naturally flavourful product full of key nutrients, seaweed products are widely considered to be future sustainable foods, helping to fill in key vegan diet deficiencies such as iron and iodine. Seaweed is often listed among high satiety foods and foods that lower blood sugar, all while providing a great dose of flavour.
Seaweed is naturally high in minerals such as magnesium and potassium, which also occur in salt. This means that, as a salt substitute, seaweed can help ensure you don’t consume too much sodium.
The Future of MSG
Now it is known and widely accepted that MSG can be used to enhance flavour but it can be used for a force for good and bad. People have suggested that it could be added to nutritious, but relatively bland food to help to aid malnourished people. Meanwhile, Professor Margot Gosney is keen to see the flavour utilized in hospital food to make it more appealing to older people. However, one issue is that MSG can also be used in processed foods such as fast food or ready meals. Obviously, this would increase the desirability of food that are already seen as unhealthy.
Try our products today!
Seaweed isn’t weird, its wonderful! Nothing else has the incredible mix of health, nutrition, flavour and sustainability potential of seaweed. In other words, this is why seaweed is THE food of the future. Therefore, we want to help you understand it, use it and love it.
Weed & Wonderful
We sell three types of seaweed infused culinary oils: Natural, Smoked, and Intense Smoked Culinary Essence. We also sell our seaweed capsules as nutritional supplements which you can all find on our website shop!
PureSea
For manufacturers and brands, we offer three different types of naturally innovative seaweed ingredients under our PureSea brand: PureSea Natural, PureSea Smoked, and PureSea Protect. Learn more here: PureSea range.
For more information please get in touch
