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Umami
Umami ( from ), or savoriness, is one of the five basic tastes. It is characteristic of broths and cooked meats. People taste umami through taste receptors that typically respond to glutamates and nucleotides, which are widely present in meat broths and fermented products. Glutamates are commonly added to some foods in the form of monosodium glutamate (MSG), and nucleotides are commonly added in the form of disodium guanylate, inosine monophosphate (IMP) or guanosine monophosphate (GMP). Since umami has its own receptors rather than arising out of a combination of the traditionally recognized taste receptors, scientists now consider umami to be a distinct taste. Foods that have a strong umami flavor include meats, shellfish, fish (including fish sauce and preserved fish such as Maldives fish, '' katsuobushi'', sardines, and anchovies), '' dashi'', tomatoes, mushrooms, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, meat extract, yeast extract, kimchi, cheeses, and soy sauce. In 1908, ...
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Taste
The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste. Taste is the perception stimulated when a substance in the mouth biochemistry, reacts chemically with taste receptor cells located on taste buds in the oral cavity, mostly on the tongue. Taste, along with olfaction, the sense of smell and trigeminal nerve stimulation (registering texture, pain, and temperature), determines Flavoring, flavors of food and other substances. Humans have taste receptors on taste buds and other areas, including the upper surface of the tongue and the epiglottis. The gustatory cortex is responsible for the perception of taste. The tongue is covered with thousands of small bumps called lingual papillae, papillae, which are visible to the naked eye. Within each papilla are hundreds of taste buds. The exceptions to this is the filiform papillae that do not contain taste buds. There are between 2000 and 5000Boron, W.F., E.L. Boulpaep. 200 ...
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Taste Receptor
A taste receptor or tastant is a type of cellular receptor that facilitates the sensation of taste. When food or other substances enter the mouth, molecules interact with saliva and are bound to taste receptors in the oral cavity and other locations. Molecules which give a sensation of taste are considered "sapid". Vertebrate taste receptors are divided into two families: * Type 1, sweet, first characterized in 2001: – * Type 2, bitter, first characterized in 2000: In humans there are 25 known different bitter receptors, in cats there are 12, in chickens there are three, and in mice there are 35 known different bitter receptors. Visual, olfactive, "sapictive" (the perception of tastes), trigeminal (hot, cool), mechanical, all contribute to the perception of ''taste''. Of these, transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 ( TRPV1) vanilloid receptors are responsible for the perception of heat from some molecules such as capsaicin, and a CMR1 receptor i ...
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Monosodium Glutamate
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as sodium glutamate, is a sodium salt of glutamic acid. MSG is found naturally in some foods including tomatoes and cheese in this glutamic acid form. MSG is used in cooking as a flavor enhancer with a savory taste that intensifies the umami flavor of food, as naturally occurring glutamate does in foods such as stews and meat soups. MSG was first prepared in 1908 by Japanese biochemist Kikunae Ikeda, who tried to isolate and duplicate the savory taste of ''kombu'', an edible seaweed used as a broth ('' dashi'') for Japanese cuisine. MSG balances, blends, and rounds the perception of other tastes. MSG, along with disodium ribonucleotides, is commonly used and found in stock (bouillon) cubes, soups, ramen, gravy, stews, condiments, savory snacks, etc. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given MSG its generally recognized as safe (GRAS) designation. It is a popular misconception that MSG can cause headaches and other feelings ...
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Miso
is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae''), and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spreads; pickling vegetables, fish, or meats; and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso soup, a Japanese culinary staple food. Miso is high in protein and rich in minerals, and it played an important nutritional role in feudal Japan. Miso is widely used in both traditional and modern cooking in Japan, and as of 2018 had been gaining worldwide interest. Typically, miso is salty, but its flavor and aroma depend on the ingredients and fermentation process. Different varieties of miso have been variously described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, or savory. History The origin of miso of Japan is not completely clear. *Grain and fish misos had been manufactured in Japan since the Neolithic era (Jōmon period, 14,000–300 BC). These are ca ...
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Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) products are foodstuffs obtained by the hydrolysis of protein, and have a meaty, savory taste similar to broth (bouillon). Regarding the production process, a distinction can be made between acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein (aHVP), enzymatically produced HVP, and other seasonings, e.g., fermented soy sauce. Hydrolyzed vegetable protein products are particularly used to round off the taste of soups, sauces, meat products, snacks, and other dishes, as well as for the production of ready-to-cook soups and bouillons. History Food technologists have long known that protein hydrolysis produces a meat bouillon-like odor and taste. Hydrolysates have been a part of the human diet for centuries, notably in the form of fermented soy sauce, or Shoyu. Shoyu, traditionally made from wheat and soy protein, has been produced in Japan for over 1,500 years, following its introduction from mainland China. The origins of producing these materials through the ac ...
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Soy Sauce
Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Aspergillus sojae'' Mold (fungus), molds. It is recognized for its saltiness and pronounced umami taste. Soy sauce was created in its current form about 2,200 years ago during the Western Han dynasty of ancient China. Since then, it has become an important ingredient in List of Asian cuisines, East and Cuisine of Southeast Asia, Southeast Asian cooking as well as a condiment worldwide. Use and storage Soy sauce can be added directly to food, and is used as a dip or Salt#Edible salt, salt flavor in cooking. It is often eaten with rice, Japanese noodles, noodles, and sushi or sashimi, or can also be mixed with ground wasabi for dipping. Bottles of soy sauce for the salty seasoning of various foods are common on restaurant tables in many co ...
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Fish Sauce
Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Some garum-related fish sauces have been used in the West since the Roman times. Due to its ability to add a savory umami flavor to dishes, it has been embraced globally by chefs and home cooks. The umami flavor in fish sauce is due to its glutamate content. Fish sauce is used as a seasoning during or after cooking, and as a base in dipping sauces. Soy sauce is regarded by some in the West as a vegetarian alternative to fish sauce though they are very different in flavor. History Asia Sauces that included fermented fish parts with other ingredients such as meat and soy bean were recorded in China, 2300 years ago. During the Zhou dynasty of ancient China, fish fermented with soybeans and ...
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Soy Sauce
Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Aspergillus sojae'' Mold (fungus), molds. It is recognized for its saltiness and pronounced umami taste. Soy sauce was created in its current form about 2,200 years ago during the Western Han dynasty of ancient China. Since then, it has become an important ingredient in List of Asian cuisines, East and Cuisine of Southeast Asia, Southeast Asian cooking as well as a condiment worldwide. Use and storage Soy sauce can be added directly to food, and is used as a dip or Salt#Edible salt, salt flavor in cooking. It is often eaten with rice, Japanese noodles, noodles, and sushi or sashimi, or can also be mixed with ground wasabi for dipping. Bottles of soy sauce for the salty seasoning of various foods are common on restaurant tables in many co ...
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Kikunae Ikeda
was a Japanese chemist and Tokyo Imperial University professor of chemistry who, in 1908, uncovered the chemical basis of a taste he named umami. It is one of the five basic tastes along with sweet, bitter, sour and salty. Education Ikeda graduated in 1889 from Tokyo Imperial University in chemistry. In 1891, he became a professor at the Higher Normal School of Tokyo, in 1896 he became an associate professor at Tokyo Imperial University. From 1899, Prof. Ikeda studied in Germany for two years at the laboratory of Prof. Friedrich Wilhelm Ostwald at the University of Leipzig, which was then the center of physical chemistry. After a brief stay in London, he returned to Tokyo in 1901 and became a full professor in chemistry at Tokyo Imperial University. Discoveries In 1907 at the Tokyo Imperial University in Japan, Ikeda was eating dinner with his family when he suddenly stopped. That day the dashi broth in his soup was more delicious than normal; after stirring a few ...
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Dashi
is a family of stocks used in Japanese cuisine. ''Dashi'' forms the base for miso soup, clear broth soup, noodle broth soup, and many simmering liquids to accentuate the savory flavor known as umami. ''Dashi'' is also mixed into the flour base of some grilled foods like okonomiyaki and takoyaki. Preparation The most common form of ''dashi'' is a simple broth made by heating water containing ''kombu'' (edible kelp) and '' kezurikatsuo'' (shavings of '' katsuobushi''—preserved, fermented skipjack tuna—or bonito) to near-boiling, then straining the resultant liquid; dried anchovies or sardines may be substituted. Katsuobushi is especially high in sodium inosinate and kombu is especially high in glutamic acids; combined, they create a synergy of umami. Granulated or liquid instant ''dashi'' largely replaced the homemade product in the second half of the 20th century. Homemade ''dashi'' is less popular today, even in Japan. Compared to the taste of homemade ''dashi'', inst ...
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Edible Mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy fruit bodies of numerous species of macrofungi (fungi that bear fruiting structures large enough to be seen with the naked eye). Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence of poisonous effects on humans and desirable taste and aroma. Mushrooms that have a particularly desirable taste are described as "''choice''". Edible mushrooms are consumed for their nutritional and culinary value. Mushrooms, especially dried shiitake, are sources of umami flavor. To ensure safety, wild mushrooms must be correctly identified before their edibility can be assumed. Deadly poisonous mushrooms that are frequently confused with edible mushrooms include several species of the genus ''Amanita'', particularly '' A. phalloides'', the death cap. Some mushrooms that are edible for most people can cause allergic reactions in others; old or improperly stored specimens can go rancid and cause food poisoning. Additionally, mushrooms can absor ...
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Glutamic Acid
Glutamic acid (symbol Glu or E; known as glutamate in its anionic form) is an α- amino acid that is used by almost all living beings in the biosynthesis of proteins. It is a non-essential nutrient for humans, meaning that the human body can synthesize enough for its use. It is also the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate nervous system. It serves as the precursor for the synthesis of the inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in GABAergic neurons. Its molecular formula is . Glutamic acid exists in two optically isomeric forms; the dextrorotatory -form is usually obtained by hydrolysis of gluten or from the waste waters of beet-sugar manufacture or by fermentation.Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged, Third Edition, 1971. Its molecular structure could be idealized as HOOC−CH()−()2−COOH, with two carboxyl groups −COOH and one amino group −. However, in the solid state and mildly acidic water s ...
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