Takashi Yamamoto
Department of Health and Nutrition, Kio University
Food consists of a variety of ingredients with different physical and chemical properties that consequently elicit complex sensations. The favorable harmony of the evoked sensations is important in evaluation of the deliciousness of food. Among the sensations, taste plays the most important role. With respect to taste, the umami taste has been internationally accepted as the fifth basic taste. Umami not only has a unique taste different from sweetness, saltiness, sourness and bitterness, but it has a powerful seasoning effect to enhance the deliciousness of food when included. Umami substances, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium inosinate and sodium guanylate, do not exist solely as a food stuff in contrast to sodium chloride, sugars and vinegars which induce almost pure saltines, sweetness and sourness, respectively.
In Japan, food and food products, such as natto (fermented beans), miso (soybean paste), dashi, and soy-sauce, contain rich umami substances. Although having a good taste, some of these products have a unique smell and texture, which often cause neophobic or aversive responses to those who are unfamiliar with the food. One of the reasons why the Japanese prefer these foods is that they have eaten them from an early age and are accustomed to the foods, consequently they are favorably accepted, which is a typical example of food preference learning. Essentially the same is true for ethnic foods in every country or district of the world, and, in many cases, such foods contain umami substances.
(Presented in the 2012 Asian Food Heritage Forum: Harmonizing Culture , Technology and Industry, 20-21 August 2012, Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies, Institute of Asian Studies, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Chinese Dietary Culture Institute, Zhejiang Gongshang University, and Ministry of Culture, Thailand)