Umami - the fifth basic taste now available in a tube!
Apparently there are a finite number of tastes various food flavours can be grouped under - bitter, sweet, sour, salty, and savoury. This latter late addition to the collection of tastes was identified by a scientist in Japan in the early 20th century as a glutamate and has since been referred to as “umami” - Japanese for flavour or taste. Not particularly well-known in the West, nevertheless a number of Western foods can attribute umami as its flavour base (including Worcester sauce and Marmite in the UK).
Now umami can be found in a tube! Called Taste No. 5 Umami Paste, this fab little product combines parmesan, anchovy, black olives, tomato puree, garlic, porcini mushrooms, and balsamic vinegar for a taste explosion. Add it to anything which needs a bit of pep (I added it to some bolognaise sauce).
