One hundred years ago, Professor Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University
discovered that glutamate was the key to the taste of the Japanese stock, known as dashi. He named this taste umami!
Umami is now recognised internationally as the fifth taste. Umami comes from
the Japanese word "umai", which means savoury or deliciousness. It is a unique
taste deriving from glutamic acid or glutamates, common in meats, fish and cheese.
Umami has tremendous potential for improving health and nutrition of the population in years to come.