umami, fifth taste, Japanese cuisine, glutamate, savory, meaty, brothy, MSG, soy sauce, Parmesan cheese, cooking techniques

Umami, also known as the fifth taste, is a flavor that is often observed in savory dishes. It is a Japanese term that emerged in the early 1900s, and it literally means “deliciousness.” While umami has long been recognized in Japanese cuisine, the Western world has only recently begun to understand and appreciate it as…