By: Robyn Flipse, MS, RD   Date: 4/14/11

What do mushrooms, ground beef and tomato paste have in common besides the makings of a great sauce? All three deliver umami, the term given to the fifth taste. Distinct from the salty, sweet, bitter and sour, umami is described as “meaty” or “savory,” and gets its name from the Japanese word for “delicious.” It may also provide the means to lower the sodium content of American diets, while retaining, and even enhancing, flavor and variety.

Finding Umami
Three different compounds commonly found in foods are responsible for the umami taste.  The first is glutamate, the most abundant amino acid in protein.  Some of the richest sources are Parmesan cheese, kelp and breast milk. The next umami compound is inosinate, found exclusively in animal products, with high concentrations in bonito, sardines and tuna. The third is guanylate, occurring in plant sources, most notably mushrooms.

Sodium glutamate (MSG) is created when glutamate is fermented, such as during the process to make vinegar, soy sauce, and yogurt.   The glutamate naturally present in food and the glutamate derived from MSG are identical, so once ingested our bodies make no distinction between them.  By adding small amounts of MSG to foods you can enhance the umami flavor with 70% less sodium than a teaspoon of table salt (640 mg and 2,300 mg respectively).

Reducing Sodium with Umami
The estimated average sodium intake for Americans ages 2 and older is 3,400 mg per day. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that the general public aim for less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day while at-risk populations are encouraged to reduce their sodium intake to 1,500 mg.  The American Heart Association recommends 1,500 mg of sodium per day for the entire population to reduce the risk for cardiovascular diseases stroke and kidney disease.

On a per weight basis, MSG is naturally low in sodium, providing about 12% of the compound weight compared to 39% in salt. Judicious use of MSG in foods could reduce salt use by 30-40% while maintaining the desired “saltiness,” providing a viable way to reduce the sodium content of U.S. diets.

The other way umami can help reduce salt use is by incorporating umami-rich ingredients into recipes, such as the tomato sauce with meat and mushrooms alluded to in the opening sentence, made even better if topped with Parmesan cheese! Slow cooking of meat bones gets the most umami out of them for richer stocks that can be turned into more flavorful sauces, along with braising and roasting meats and vegetables. A dab of anchovy paste can perk up a bland salad dressing and a dash of low sodium soy sauce can inspire an insipid soup, just as a splash of wine or vinegar can enhance any dish they are added to.
 
Making Room for More Umami
The enjoyment of food is the result of the combined experience of taste, aroma, and mouth-feel. Umami contributes not only taste, but a sensation of thickness or richness while enhancing the other flavors it is combined with. Through the creative use of MSG and umami-rich ingredients, it is possible to increase the palatability of foods prepared with less salt and create low sodium dishes worth eating.