Umami : Unlocking the Secrets of the Fifth Taste / Klavs Styrbæk, Ole Mouritsen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mouritsen, Ole G., author.

Styrbæk, Klavs, author.

Contributor:

Mouritsen, Jonas Drotner.

Johansen, Mariela.

Series:

Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Umami (Taste).

Flavor.

Food--Analysis.

Food.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (281 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Columbia University Press, [2014]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In the West, we have identified only four basic tastes-sour, sweet, salty, and bitter-that, through skillful combination and technique, create delicious foods. Yet in many parts of East Asia over the past century, an additional flavor has entered the culinary lexicon: umami, a fifth taste impression that is savory, complex, and wholly distinct.Combining culinary history with recent research into the chemistry, preparation, nutrition, and culture of food, Mouritsen and Styrbæk encapsulate what we know to date about the concept of umami, from ancient times to today. Umami can be found in soup stocks, meat dishes, air-dried ham, shellfish, aged cheeses, mushrooms, and ripe tomatoes, and it can enhance other taste substances to produce a transformative gustatory experience. Researchers have also discovered which substances in foodstuffs bring out umami, a breakthrough that allows any casual cook to prepare delicious and more nutritious meals with less fat, salt, and sugar. The implications of harnessing umami are both sensuous and social, enabling us to become more intimate with the subtleties of human taste while making better food choices for ourselves and our families. This volume, the product of an ongoing collaboration between a chef and a scientist, won the Danish national Mad+Medier-Prisen (Food and Media Award) in the category of academic food communication.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Prologue: How it all began

What exactly is taste, and why is it important?

The first four: Sour, sweet, salty, and bitter

The fifth taste: What is umami ?

1 + 1 = 8: Gustatory synergy

Umami from the oceans: Seaweeds, fish, and shellfish

Umami from the land: Fungi and plants

Umami from land animals: Meat, eggs, and dairy products

Umami: The secret behind the humble soup stock

Making the most of umami

Umami and wellness

Epilogue: Umami has come to stay

Technical and scientific details

Bibliography

Illustration credits

Glossary

Index

The people behind the book

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 08. Jul 2019)

ISBN:

9780231537582

0231537581

OCLC:

876512420