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Which foods are high in umami ("savoriness") and how can I cook them to maximize the umami taste?

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  • Seems kind of open-ended to me... I'm not really sure how people are supposed to answer this.
    – Aaronut
    Commented Jul 19, 2010 at 14:08
  • you are probably right Aaronut, I saw it mentioned in another post and it got me wanting to know...
    – Sam Holder
    Commented Jul 19, 2010 at 14:14
  • Too broad to be really answerable. Commented Jul 19, 2010 at 15:33
  • Shall I delete this? There are no votes to close yet....
    – Sam Holder
    Commented Jul 19, 2010 at 16:40
  • I don't think you'll be able to delete it with upvoted answers. I guess it's okay, as a wiki; at least it introduces a concept that some people may not know [much] about. 'Course, the entire thread needs to be wikified, not just the question.
    – Aaronut
    Commented Jul 20, 2010 at 1:06

5 Answers 5

15

Umami comes from a very specific source: Glutamates and glutamic acid. MSG is a glutamate, so it is one of the best ways to add a bit of umami.

Meat, Kombu seaweed (used to make Dashi, and hence Dashi), mushrooms, onions, cheeses, soy and other beans, most high-protein foods.

Here is a quick list. Most are prepared foods, but it should give you an idea.

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  • Second ingredient in most bouillons, after salt, is MSG. Commented Mar 27, 2019 at 23:28
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Marmite / Vegemite contain autolyzed yeast extract, which is a very high source of umami. These spreads are therefore also great for bringing out savory flavours.

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  • Anchovies
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Fish
  • Meat
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The insides of Tomato's are high. Heston Blumanthal has a recipe for Tomatoe Ketchup that makes use of this.

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  • Salting tomatoes really brings it out, too.
    – ceejayoz
    Commented Jul 19, 2010 at 15:02
-1

Miso. Yummy, too.

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