Umami by Mouritsen, Ole G. -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Series Page Title Page Copyright 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 physiology and biochemistry of taste The interplay between sweet and bitter Taste receptors: This is how they work When words fail us: Descriptions of tastes

The fifth taste: What is umami?

Science, soup, and the search for the fifth taste Glutamic acid and glutamate What is the meaning of the word umami? From laboratory to mass production How MSG is made A little letter with a huge impact: The ‘Chinese restaurant syndrome’ The Japanese discover other umami substances It all starts with mother’s milk Umami as a global presence Umami has won acceptance as a distinct taste And umami is still controversial …

1 + 1 = 8: Gustatory synergy

Amazing interplay: Basal and synergistic umami Detecting umami synergy on the tongue and in the brain Japanese dashi: The textbook example of umami synergy The art of making Japanese dashi Nordic dashi Dashi closer to home—a Japanese soup with a Scandinavian twist Seaweeds enhance the umami in fish How to make smoked shrimp heads Many substances interact synergistically with umami A breakthrough discovery of yet another synergistic substance The interplay between glutamate and the four classic tastes A simple taste test: Umami vs. salt Umami-rich ‘foie gras from the sea’ Food pairing and umami Creating tastes synthetically Umami: Either as little or as much as you like

Umami from the oceans: Seaweeds, fish, and shellfish

Seaweeds and konbu: The mother lode of umami A world of konbu in Japan Fresh fish and shellfish Cooked fish and shellfish dishes and soups Umami and the art of killing a fish A traditional clambake: New England method, Danish ingredients Everyday umami in ancient Greece and Rome Fish sauces and fish pastes Modern garum Shellfish paste Oyster sauce Sushi and fermented fish Katsuobushi Catching katsuo to optimize umami Niboshi The hardest foodstuff in the world Kusaya Nordic variations: Horrible smells and heavenly tastes Fish roe Seven friends, The Compleat Angler, and a pike

Umami from the land: Fungi and plants

Umami from the plant kingdom Dried fungi Fermented soybeans Soy sauce Production of shōyu Miso Production of miso The Asian answer to cheese: Fermented soybean cakes Nattō Black garlic Shōjin ryōri: An old tradition with a modern presence The enlightened kitchen Tomatoes Green tea

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

The animal kingdom delivers umami in spades Homo sapiens is a cook Preserving meats in the traditional ways Air-dried hams Salted beef: Pastrami and corned beef Bacon and sausages Dairy products Blue cheeses Aged, dried, and hard cheeses Eggs and mayonnaise Harry’s crème from Harry’s Bar

Umami: The secret behind the humble soup stock

Soup is umami Osmazome and The Physiology of Taste Amino acids in soup stocks A real find: A dashi bar The taste of a beef stock Ready-made umami Knorr and Maggi: European umami pioneers

Making the most of umami

MSG as a food additive Other commercial sources of umami Hydrolyzed protein Umami in a jar Yeast extract Nutritional yeast More sources of umami for vegans Ketchup Bagna càuda Worcestershire sauce Umami in a tube Twelve easy ways to add umami Quintessentially Danish: Brown gravy, medisterpølse, and beef patties Slow cooking: The secret of more umami Ratatouille and brandade This is why fast food tastes so good Green salads and raw vegetables Umami in dishes made with small fowl Cooked potatoes: Nothing could be simpler Rice and sake Beer Umami in sweets Mirin is a sweet rice wine with umami

Umami and Wellness

Umami and MSG: Food without ‘chemicals’ Umami satisfies the appetite Why does umami make us feel full? The ‘brain’ in the stomach Umami for a sick and aging population Umami for life

Epilogue: Umami has come to stay Technical and scientific details

Umami and the first glutamate receptor Yet another receptor for umami Umami synergy The taste of amino acids Taste thresholds for umami Content of glutamate and 5'-ribonucleotides in different foods

Bibliography Illustration Credits Glossary Index The People Behind the Book