We all have learned from our childhood 4 tastes like - sweet, salty, sour and bitter BUT there is another basic taste called Umami ( Japanese meaning "flavor" or "taste" ). Umami as a separate taste was first identified in 1908 by Kikunae Ikeda @ Tokyo university.
- The umami taste is due to the detection of the carboxylate anion of glutamic acid, a naturally occurring amino acid common in meat, cheese, broth, stock, and other protein-heavy foods.
- Salts of glutamic acid, known as glutamates, easily ionize to give the same carboxylate form and therefore, Umami taste.
While the umami taste is due to glutamates, 5'-ribonucleotides such as guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and inosine monophosphate (IMP) greatly enhance its perceived intensity.
Actual taste receptor responsible for the sense of umami, a modified form of mGluR4 named "taste-mGluR4." Umami tastes are initiated by these specialized receptors, with subsequent steps involving secretion of neurotransmitters, including adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and serotonin.
clinical implications :-
Protein-energy malnutrition is one of the leading causes of death in children worldwide. Increased understanding of amino acid taste receptors may help nutritionists target the appetites of protein-malnourished children to provide good-tasting dietary supplements that kids will readily accept.
UMAMI taste is common to savory products such as meat, cheese, and mushrooms.
: Science of Food goes like this :
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