What is Umami? Exploring the Fifth Flavor's Savory Depth

What makes a dish truly well-rounded? Beyond just taste, a great meal often feels rich, layered with depth and complexity. A dish that’s solely salty or sweet rarely feels as satisfying as one that balances different types of tastes. While combining different flavors makes for a well-rounded dish, there is one flavor that adds richness, intensity, and depth to food all on its own: enter umami.

Keep reading to learn how umami was discovered, explore its history and recent resurgence, and dive into exciting umami innovations.

Discovering Umami

For most of history, there were four recognized flavor profiles: sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. But with the identification of umami in the twentieth century, crafting a well-rounded dish gained a whole new dimension.

Umami is characterized by complex savory, meaty, and earthy tastes. Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda discovered it in 1908 in Tokyo after noticing that his favorite kelp-broth dish, dashi, had a savory quality that didn’t fit any of the four known flavor profiles. Ikeda isolated the compound behind that mysterious flavor and identified it as the amino acid glutamate, which naturally occurs in various savory foods. In doing so, he had not only discovered the defining component of his favorite dish; he had uncovered an entirely new fifth flavor.

Umami wasn’t officially recognized until 1980, when it joined sweet, salty, bitter, and sour as the palate’s fifth flavor.

Umami Under the Radar

Because umami wasn’t identified and named until the 20^th century, it’s notoriously difficult to describe. Without a clear definition, it’s hard to pinpoint the shared qualities of umami-rich foods. This challenge is particularly pronounced for the American palate because fermented and umami-forward flavors are not central to American cuisine.

But people taste umami every day without properly naming it. It’s the savory flavor in a ripe tomato, the fermented taste of miso, or the reason Parmesan cheese is so satisfying. Umami is a secret weapon, making meals delicious and satisfying even when it can’t be named.

Great Glutamate

We know that foods rich in glutamate have an umami taste. But what increases glutamate content?

Tomatoes, mushrooms, fish, and cheese are all naturally high in glutamate, giving them a pronounced savory flavor that is further intensified through the fermentation process. The longer food ferments, the more concentrated the glutamate becomes.

Miso, made from fermented soybeans, grains, and koji fungus, is naturally savory and salty. When miso is fermented, this flavor becomes even more potent. It also develops a darker color. White miso, fermented for about 3-6 months, has a light color and a delicate, sweet taste. Red miso, which can be fermented for 1-2 years, has a darker color and a more intense saltiness.

Want to read more about miso? Check out our complete miso guide here

Umami on the Rise

Though umami is a relatively “new” flavor, it has quickly gained global appeal. Over the past decade, as international ingredients have become more accessible and widespread, umami-forward dishes have stepped into the spotlight. From matcha to gochujang to truffle, umami-rich foods continue to rise in popularity, sparking innovation in restaurant menus, food products, and kitchen pantries.

MSG’s Comeback

Part of this umami takeover is due to the resurgence of Monosodium glutamate, or MSG. MSG is a flavor enhancer, giving food a strong umami flavor. In the past, MSG has been associated with various health problems. Some restaurants and food packaging still boast “NO MSG” to attract customers. Over the past five years, however, MSG has earned a much better reputation. New studies show that there is no significant association between MSG and health issues, and the FDA has officially recognized MSG as a safe ingredient.

MSG’s new standing is helping to pave the way for umami’s acceptance. MSG is back on menus, in pantries, and in products. As a result, brands are becoming more innovative in their umami offerings. SPINS data shows that the readoption of MSG is leading to more umami products and a higher consumer acceptance of the flavor. Increasing awareness of umami foods has also made space for new flavor combinations. Products that blend umami with sour, salty, or even sweet flavors are expected to increase in the future.

Umami in Action

Umami’s Claims to Fame

It’s easy to recognize sweetness in a dish or to identify when something is sour. But with a flavor profile as complex as umami’s, it’s best understood through the foods that naturally contain it.

Foods like mushrooms, soy, and seaweed are all classic representations of umami. When trying to give food an umami punch, chefs often add these ingredients, creating layers of flavor. Umami ingredients can also add depth to or put a spin on more traditional dishes.

For example, dashi—the dish that sparked Ikeda’s discovery—owes its signature savoriness to kombu, an edible kelp. Today, adding a strip of kombu to a dish is a common way to give a meal an umami kick!

Looking to give your food more flavor? Here are some of our favorite classic recipes with an umami twist:

• Miso Brown Butter Leeks & Preserved Lemon Yogurt: Adding white miso to leeks gives this side dish a whole new flavor profile. Paired with a preserved lemon yogurt, this recipe is bursting with fermented and umami flavors.
• Twisted Black Garlic Sesame Knots with Herb Chermoula Dip: This recipe puts a twist (or two!) on classic garlic knots. With the sweet and umami-rich flavors from black garlic and sesame, this recipe is an easy way to elevate a classic appetizer.
• Poke Bowl with Gochujang Cucumber Salad: Think umami can’t be refreshing? Think again! This poke bowl features the umami flavors of sesame, miso, and soy sauce. Paired with a gochujang cucumber salad, this dish is packed with umami.

Functional Flavor

In addition to adding depth and boldness to any dish, umami is also gaining popularity as a functional flavor. Umami-rich ingredients and fermented foods are not only on the rise thanks to their taste; fermentation is also associated with better gut health. Umami indicates both savory depth and functional flavor in a dish.

Umami is present in many naturally high-protein foods, and glutamate is even thought to signal the presence of protein to the body. People searching for ways to add protein to their diet often eat more umami-rich foods because they tend to feel more complete both in flavor and in nourishment.

Many umami-rich protein sources are plant-based, like tofu and soy-based foods. As demand for meat alternatives increases, these ingredients are becoming more popular because they effectively replicate the flavor and texture of meat, while providing a depth of satisfying, savory flavor.

Umami is proving to be more than just a great taste. It’s delivering deliciously functional flavor.

Curious about the rise of functional flavors and how umami fits in? Check out our 2026 Fine Foods Trend Guide.

Fifth Flavor Finds

With the rise in fermented foods, umami is becoming a kitchen mainstay. Kimchi is a new staple, and pickles are everywhere. These both deliver a natural umami punch thanks to fermentation. Their popularity has made umami a far more familiar taste for everyday eaters. In addition to the classic shiitake and dried mushrooms that are known for their umami flavor, truffles are now popping up in unexpected places. Truffles and truffle oil are now ubiquitous on menus and are used to add depth and umami to classic dishes.

As menus and pantries change to keep up with food trends and consumer preferences, one thing is clear: umami-rich ingredients are becoming mainstays everywhere, from high-end restaurants to snack brand LTOs.

Here are some creative fifth flavor finds that you can try yourself:

• Akai Japanese Sushi Lounge’s Tuna Guacamole: this dish crosses cuisine boundaries, pairing Latin-inspired flavors with an umami punch from raw tuna and wasabi-soy sauce
• Sweetgreen’s Omega Salad: an LTO salad, featuring miso-glazed salmon and packed with umami flavor
• Kikkoman’s Teriyaki Caramel Over Grilled Pineapple and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: mix savory, sweet, and umami flavors with a delicious dessert recipe

You Can Drink It, Too!

In the beverage and cocktail world, umami adds flavor complexity to classic drinks. In addition to the classic Bloody Mary, bar menus are now featuring fermented flavors, miso-inspired drinks, and sprinkles of MSG. Matcha, which also has a deep umami flavor, rose 5.4% on menus in 2025. Matcha lattes are everywhere on café menus, and the flavor combinations are endless. It’s so popular that it is transcending categories, inspiring baked goods and cocktails, too.

Umami Innovation

At Roland Foods, we’re committed to innovation. In addition to providing ingredients and recipes that feature classic umami flavors, we also source exciting and uncommon products to bring umami into every kitchen.

We have perfected the umami staples, like miso and soy. But we also bring exciting and new umami flavors to every kitchen. Check out some of our umami products, from classic to unexpected:

• Miso: Check out Roland® White Miso Paste and Red Miso Paste. While white miso has a milder flavor, red miso has been fermented for longer, giving it a stronger and saltier flavor.
• Soy: While traditional soy sauce has gotten most of the spotlight, we offer several other products that add the same umami punch. Roland® Premium Soy Sauce is a clean-label version of traditional soy sauce, and Roland® Tamari Soy Sauce is a gluten-free option. For innovative dishes that pack a punch, try Roland® Original Soy Sauce Glaze, Roland® Lemongrass Soy Sauce Glaze, or Roland® Ginger Soy Sauce Glaze .
• Mushrooms: From dried to whole, shiitake to porcini, mushrooms are rich with umami flavor. Roland Foods has been committed to mushroom innovation since 1934. One of our newest portfolio additions—Roland® Pre-Cooked Savory Minced Mushrooms—makes umami flavor easy and versatile.
• Tomatoes: Raw tomatoes contain high levels of glutamate, but when they are cooked or dried, their umami flavor increases. Roasted or sundried tomatoes are elevated in both texture and taste, and Roland Foods offers various tomato products, from Roland® Sofrito with Tomato to Roland® Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. Tomatoes are the perfect umami base for any type of cuisine.
• Anchovies: Seafood is rich in umami flavor, providing a depth of salty and savory flavor to any dish. Roland® Anchovies are perfect on their own as an umami snack. Both refreshing and savory, they add delicious complexity to any dish.
• Garlic: While garlic isn’t umami on its own, fermented garlic is rich with glutamate and adds depth to any dish. Made from fermented garlic cloves, Roland® Black Garlic is bold and complex and can be stirred into soups and stews for an instant umami boost.

Why Umami?

Whether you’re after function, flavor, or exploration, there are so many reasons to add umami to your meal. By using umami-forward ingredients, you can add depth and flavor to food while exploring innovative culinary creations. From fermentation to global flavors, umami is the perfect way to elevate any dish.