Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and….umami?  The “fifth taste” has been well-known in parts of Asia for over 100 years, but it’s just becoming part of American vocabulary.  The Wall Street Journal recently published a very helpful article on the topic.  In it, umami is described as “a meaty, savory, satisfying taste.”  But what gives a food umami?  The answer is scientific; “foods with the umami taste have a high level of glutamate, an amino acid and a building block of protein.”  And our tongues have taste receptors that serve no other purpose than to recognize glutamate.  Thanks to those little receptors, we can taste the umami in many well-loved foods, including parmesan cheese, soy sauce—even ketchup.

So how do you add a little umami to create a dish that keeps your restaurant’s customers coming back?  This graphic should give you a few ideas:

(Graphic copyright of Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

To see a video from The Wall Street Journal about making an umami-packed tomato soup, click here.  Then, test out the umami flavor in your own dishes using some of the suggestions above.