Umami's an old flavor but still a new concept for many cooks. Here's what to know

You know that burst of flavor you experience when you take a bite of certain savory foods, such as meat, fish, mushrooms or miso? That sensation of “whoa, that is just delicious!” In all likelihood, you are tasting umami.

Umami, which translates to “delicious savory taste, " was identified as a distinct flavor in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda. It's now recognized as the fifth taste, joining sweet, salty, bitter and sour.

The concept of this fifth taste has been embraced in the East for a long time, before it had an official name. But it’s still a relatively new idea to many home cooks in the West.

If you’ve ever wondered why sprinkling Parmesan on your pasta made it just so much more satisfying, why the exterior of a roasted pork shoulder has so much flavor, why miso soup tastes so luxurious, why bacon is so freaking delicious, why an anchovy-laded Caesar salad dressing makes you want to wriggle with joy, why caramelized onions have so much depth — the answer is umami.

Umami flavor comes from glutamate, a common amino acid or protein building block found in many foods. The most familiar is monosodium glutamate, or MSG. In the U.S., it was once believed that MSG wasn’t good for you, but it's now generally recognized as a safe addition to food. Many Asian chefs have worked to reintroduce MSG into daily cooking.

Foods rich with umami flavor include:

Aged cheeses: Blue cheese, gouda and cheddar are some of the most umami-packed cheeses due to the breakdown of proteins that takes places during the aging process. Parmesan cheese is widely recognized as an umami bomb.

Tomato products: The more cooked down, the more concentrated the umami — think tomato paste, sundried tomatoes and ketchup.

Mushrooms: In particular, shiitake, oyster and portobello mushrooms. Also, make use of dried mushrooms.

Meat and meat broths: Roasted and grilled meats are examples of umami richness. A roasted chicken, pan-seared steak. Cured meats like prosciutto and bacon are also umami powerhouses. So are ramen, udon soup and other foods made with rich savory broths.

Fish and seafood: Especially varieties like sea urchin, shrimp and scallops. You will also find high levels of umami flavor in fish and fish broths, especially little oily fish like sardines and anchovies.

Bonito flakes: These tissue-thin, fluffy shards of cooked and dry-smoked tuna are used as the base of dashi, a seasoning blend at the base of much Japanese cooking. Dashi also usually includes shiitake mushrooms and kombu (seaweed).

Soy sauce, or shoyu, is one of the pillars of umami flavor in Asian cooking. Fermentation breaks down the proteins in the soybeans and wheat used to make soy sauce into amino acids, glutamic acid in particular. Tamari is a gluten-free version of this condiment.

Fish sauce is another source of umami, used often in Southeast Asian cooking. The basic ingredients are anchovies and salt. The salt pulls out the liquid from the fish and creates a dark, potent amber sauce. This is one of the reasons that Thai, Vietnamese and Philippine food, to name a few, taste so distinctively and pungently savory.

Vegetarians and vegans might think that elusive fifth taste is hard to achieve without meat or other animal products, but there is much good news!

Seaweed: Another big source of umami (and not coincidentally the other main ingredient in dashi).

Yeast enhancers and spreads: Umami is the leading flavor note of marmite and nutritional yeast.

Miso paste, made from fermented soybeans, is high in umami, whether you are using white miso, brown rice miso, red miso or yellow miso.

An online store called Umami Mart makes an umami salt that contains salt, black, garlic and shiitake mushrooms.

Red Boat makes excellent fish sauce and also has as a seasoned salt made with anchovies, a dry way to add pungent flavor.

Fan favorite Kewpie Mayonnaise is rich in umami thanks to the combo of egg yolks, vinegar and MSG.

Cabi makes an umami dashi soy sauce, which packs a serious umami punch.

A company called Muso makes organic umami purees from soy sauce and koji-cultured rice designed to add flavor and tenderize foods.

Yamaki makes dashi sachets and various sized packages of bonito flakes.

Kayanoya is a Japan-based company known for its line of dashi products ranging from dashi, kelp and mushroom stock powders to ramen and udon broth mixes.

Vumami makes a line of condiments called Umami Bomb, made with fermented soy beans, tamari and shiitake mushrooms. They can be added to stir-fries or soups, and used as a dumpling dip.

Now that you know what you’re tasting, you’ll be looking for ways to incorporate more of this fifth dates into your cooking. It’s truly as easy as knowing what ingredients to reach for!

Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com/. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.

For more AP food stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/recipes.

This April 2025 image provided by Katie Workman shows two bottles of fish sauce. (Katie Workman via AP)

This April 2025 image provided by Katie Workman shows kewpie mayonnaise. (Katie Workman via AP)

This April 2025 image provided by Katie Workman shows dashi broth and soup mix. (Katie Workman via AP)

This April 2025 image provided by Katie Workman shows an array of umami-rich condiments. (Katie Workman via AP)

PARIS (AP) — A Paris court is to rule on Monday in a case involving 10 people accused of cyberbullying French first lady Brigitte Macron by spreading false online claims about her gender and sexuality, allegations her daughter said damaged her health and family life.

The defendants, eight men and two women aged 41 to 60, are accused of posting “numerous malicious comments” falsely claiming that President Emmanuel Macron ’s wife was born a man and linking the 24-year age gap with her husband to pedophilia. Some of the posts were viewed tens of thousands of times.

Brigitte Macron did not attend the two-day trial in October.

Her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified about what she described as the “deterioration” of her mother’s life since the online harassment intensified. “She cannot ignore the horrible things said about her,” Auzière told the court. She said the impact has extended to the entire family, including Macron’s grandchildren.

Defendant Delphine Jegousse, 51, who is known as Amandine Roy and describes herself as a medium and an author, is considered as having played a major role in spreading the rumor after she released a four-hour video on her YouTube channel in 2021.

The X account of Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, 41, known as Zoé Sagan on social media, was suspended in 2024 after his name was cited in several judicial investigations.

Other defendants include an elected official, a teacher and a computer scientist. Several told the court their comments were intended as humor or satire and said they did not understand why they were being prosecuted. They face up to two years in prison if convicted.

The case follows years of conspiracy theories falsely alleging that Brigitte Macron was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, which is actually the name of her brother. The Macrons have also filed a defamation suit in the United States against conservative influencer Candace Owens.

The Macrons, who have been married since 2007, first met at the high school where he was a student and she was a teacher. Brigitte Macron, 24 years her husband’s senior, was then called Brigitte Auzière, a married mother of three.

Emmanuel Macron, 48, has been France’s president since 2017.

FILE - French President's wife Brigitte Macron arrives ahead of the ceremony outside "La Belle Equipe" bar, Thursday Nov. 13, 2025 in Paris as part of ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of terrorist attacks. (Ludovic Marin, Pool photo via AP, File)