What Is Umami? The Fifth Taste, MSG, and How To Use Both

We’re all about umami here at Offcuts Kitchen, and we’re on a quest to help home cooks unlock its superpowers. Understanding umami is the first step to using it well. Once you know what it is and how it works, you will cook more intentionally and your taste buds will thank you.

Umami is the savory, mouth-watering taste you notice in broths, aged cheese, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, soy sauce, and fish sauce. It is not chef slang. It is literally one of our basic tastes, just like sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. It was first identified in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda while studying kombu dashi. Awareness has grown as more home cooks learn the science and the tricks. Used properly, umami should be balanced on purpose as the fifth taste in the human palate.

Umami 101

Umami is the fifth basic taste. It shows up as deep, savory deliciousness in broths, aged cheese, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Dr. Kikunae Ikeda identified it in 1908 while studying kombu dashi. Used well, umami is a balance point on the palate, just like sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.

Why care about it? Because umami is the fastest path to better flavor with less effort. It makes food taste fuller and more satisfying, so you can often use less salt and still get rich results. It helps veggies sing, turns simple broths and pan sauces into keepers, and gives budget cuts and leftovers new life. In short, umami is the easiest upgrade you can make to everyday cooking.

The science (without the lab coat)

The building blocks
Umami is powered by free glutamate. When glutamate pairs with specific 5′-ribonucleotides, especially inosinate (IMP) and guanylate (GMP), the savory intensity multiplies. Do not stress the names. The takeaway is simple: they love to be paired.

• Glutamate-rich foods: Tomatoes, parmesan cheese, soy sauce, seaweed (kombu).
• Nucleotide-rich foods: Cured meats, fish (especially bonito flakes/katsuobushi), and dried mushrooms (especially shiitake).

Your tongue is wired to taste it
Your tongue has special receptors for glutamate. The main one is T1R1/T1R3, with helpers mGluR1 and mGluR4. That is why umami lands differently from sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. You feel it as more salivation, a longer finish, and a rounder, more satisfying bite. Everyone has these receptors, but sensitivity varies, so season to taste.

Synergy
Pairing glutamate-rich and nucleotide-rich foods multiplies flavor. Kombu with katsuobushi makes dashi. Mushrooms with soy go deep. Tomatoes with anchovy. Parmesan with prosciutto. Same rule every time: mix glutamate with nucleotides and the dish sings.

MSG vs Umami

Umami is the taste. MSG is one of the cleanest ways to add it.

• Umami = glutamate. Your tongue reads umami when it detects free glutamate.Foods like tomatoes, Parmesan, soy sauce, mushrooms, and kombu are naturally rich in it.
• MSG = monosodium glutamate. It dissolves into sodium and glutamate. That glutamate hits your umami receptors, so MSG is a reliable, precise umami boost.
• Natural or added. Same taste. The glutamate in Parmesan and the glutamate from MSG taste like umami either way. Use ingredients for character. Use MSG when you want a simple nudge without changing the flavor profile.

Is MSG safe?

Yes. MSG didn’t earn its bad rep, it got handed one. The panic kicked off with a 1968 letter about “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome,” then snowballed on xenophobia, splashy headlines, and junky studies using silly-high doses. Meanwhile, decades of independent research and research by the FDA say MSG in normal cooking is safe, and its glutamate is the same stuff in tomatoes and Parmesan. Basically, a flavor VIP got benched for no good reason. Note: food labels must be clear. If MSG is added, it must be listed. Naturally occurring glutamates in foods like tomatoes or Parmesan are not “MSG.”

Offcuts Kitchen staples are free of added MSG and bring plenty of umami, but we still keep a small shaker on the spice rack for when a dish needs a nudge!

Umami foods you probably already have in your pantry

• Animal-based: parmesan, cured meats, anchovies, shellfish, long-simmered stocks (👋 demi-glace).
• Plant-based: tomatoes & tomato paste, shiitake mushrooms, kombu, soy sauce, miso, nutritional yeast.
  

These foods and pairings are everywhere for a reason: they taste great. Tomato with Parmesan. Mushroom with soy. Kombu with bonito. Alone or together, umami-rich foods show up again and again because they just taste delicious.

Umami vs savory vs salty

• Savory = a vibe, a general description.
• Salty = the taste of sodium ions.
• Umami = a distinct basic taste from glutamate/nucleotides.
  

Can umami help cut back on salt?

Yes. Umami can keep food tasting rich even with less sodium. Salt enhances flavor, but it is not the source of umami. Boost umami first, then add salt to taste if you still need it.

Quick FAQs

What is umami in simple terms?
The savory “fifth taste” our tongues detect from glutamate and nucleotides.

Who discovered umami?
Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, in 1908, while studying kombu dashi.

Is MSG the same as umami?
No, MSG delivers umami, but umami is the taste itself.

Which foods are high in umami?
Parmesan, cured meats, tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, kombu, miso, soy sauce.

Can umami reduce salt?
Yes, it can keep dishes tasting balanced even with less sodium.

Where to start in your kitchen

Adding umami doesn’t need to be complicated. Try three simple moves: keep good stock or demi on hand and stir in a tablespoon or two (Offcuts Kitchen's Roasted Chicken Demi-Glace and 100% Grass Fed Beef Demi Glace are especially umami rich!); pair a glutamate-rich ingredient with a nucleotide-rich one; or finish a dish with a smart accent like soy, Parmesan, tomato paste, mushrooms, kombu, or a pinch of MSG. How to tell if you need more umami? The dish tastes flat, the finish is short, or you keep adding salt to chase flavor.