If you are cooking with me, you will learn about the power of umami. Truth be told, I use it as a tool to not only make my dishes taste even better, but I try to use it the way the Japanese do, to create “satiation.” A feeling that even though you have more food on your plate, your body has told you “I have had enough.”
UMAMI TEST
Before we embark, if you have MSG in your house, go get it and add a pinch to a plate with the same of kosher salt, sea salt (if you have it), white pepper and black pepper. Taste them one at a time, MSG being last. Pay attention to where the “flavor” is on your tongue. This will help train your palate to understand the difference between saltiness and savoriness, or the presence of Umami.
If we think about umami as a nuero stimulant, yes - but it starts on your tongue, not in your head. Let’s break it down.
So—what is umami, really?
Umami literally means "delicious taste" in Japanese, and it's triggered by glutamates—amino acids that naturally occur in lots of foods. It tells your body, "Hey, there's protein here. This is good for you." Which is probably why it’s so soul-satisfying.
Where does it show up?
Parmesan (aged cheese = umami bomb)
Tomatoes (especially sun-dried or cooked)
Mushrooms (shiitake are the heavy hitters)
Soy sauce, miso, fish sauce (fermentation = umami supercharger)
Cured meats (like prosciutto or anchovies)
Seaweed (kombu is the OG umami source in dashi broth)
Even things like roasted onions and browned meat have umami thanks to the Maillard reaction—that’s just a nerdy way of saying “when flavor gets deep and complex through heat.”
How to use it in your cooking:
Layer it. A spoon of miso in your soup. Grated parm on your pasta. A splash of soy in your stir-fry. Small hits go a long way.
Balance it. Umami is rich—so brighten it with acid (lemon, vinegar) or cut it with freshness (herbs, crunchy veg).
Boost weak spots. If something tastes flat, a little umami can rescue it. Bland soup? Add miso or fish sauce. Meh veggies? Roast 'em with a sprinkle of soy.
So is umami a chemical reaction in the brain?
Not exactly.
Umami is a taste, and that means it’s part of a chemical detection system—a biochemical event that begins in your mouth and gets interpreted by your brain.
Here’s the play-by-play:
1. Chemicals in food (like glutamate or inosinate) hit your tongue.
They bind to specialized taste receptors called mGluR4 and T1R1/T1R3—these are different from your salty/sweet/sour/bitter ones.
These receptors are tuned specifically to detect:
Glutamate (from tomatoes, cheese, soy, etc.)
Inosinate and guanylate (from meat/fish and mushrooms)
2. Your taste cells send an electrical signal through your cranial nerves (mostly the facial and glossopharyngeal nerves) to the brain’s gustatory cortex.
That’s the part of the brain that decodes what you’re tasting.
3. The brain interprets it as “delicious.”
You’re not just detecting “flavor”—you’re reading nutritional value. Umami says,
“Hey, this has amino acids. It’s protein. It’s life-sustaining.”
This is why umami-heavy foods feel comforting or grounding. Your body knows they’re worth eating.
This is the real question. Because understanding umami is one thing—but knowing how to use it? That’s where you become dangerous in the kitchen (in the best way).
How to Build Umami as a Home Cook
Let’s not overcomplicate it. Building umami is about layering, stocking smart, and knowing when a dish needs that extra oomph.
First, know your core umami builders:
1. Glutamate-rich pantry staples (plant-based)
Soy sauce, tamari, liquid aminos
Miso paste (white for sweet, red for funky)
Tomato paste (or sundried tomatoes)
Nutritional yeast
Seaweed (kombu, wakame, nori)
Mushrooms (especially dried shiitake)
2. Inosinate-rich ingredients (animal-based)
Bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
Chicken thighs
Anchovies or sardines
Parmesan (aged cheese = glutamate + salt)
Cured meats (prosciutto, bacon)
Broths/stocks (especially homemade)
3. Synergy bombs (where glutamate + inosinate combine)
Dashi (kombu + bonito)
Anchovy + tomato sauce
Miso + mushrooms
Parm + cured meat in pasta
How to use them:
✅ 1. Start early:
Build umami at the base—sweat onions with miso or anchovy. Sear meats for browning (hello Maillard reaction). Steep kombu or mushrooms in water before you even boil.
✅ 2. Layer intentionally:
Add soy and mushrooms to your stir-fry.
Stir tomato paste into your beans.
Toss roasted veggies in miso butter.
✅ 3. Finish strong:
Umami loves contrast—finish rich dishes with acid (lemon, vinegar), herbs, or heat (chili crisp, black pepper) to cut through.
Umami Builder’s Toolkit (Pantry + Fridge)
Category Essentials Sauces Soy, tamari, fish sauce, oyster sauce, miso Fats Anchovy paste, sesame oil, parmesan, butter Ferments Kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, fermented chili paste Dry Goods Dried mushrooms, kombu, bonito flakes, nutritional yeast Freezer Homemade stock, frozen tomato paste cubes, mushroom scraps Fridge Grated parm, bacon ends, umami butter (yes, it’s a thing)
When to reach for umami:
Dish feels flat? Needs umami.
Something’s rich but not satisfying? Needs contrast with umami.
Trying to eat more plants? Umami will make it craveable.
All this and I have the link to the now famous UMAMI SALT, which if you have made it to to the bottom of this newsletter you are a curious cook and you would REALLY benefit ftom having this salt in your kitchen SO BUY IT, and let me know what happens!
Final word:
Umami isn’t fancy—it’s fundamental.
It’s how you go from “meh” to “more, please.” Build your pantry like a toolbox, trust your taste buds, and start layering.
You don’t need recipes. You need instincts. And now—you’ve got ‘em.
Want a custom umami pantry layout? Or a few go-to umami "boosters" to always keep in the fridge? Say the word.
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