UMAMI Definition & Meaning

umami

[oo-mah-mee]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a strong meaty taste imparted by glutamate and certain other amino acids: often considered to be one of the basic taste sensations along with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

First recorded in 1960–65; from Japanese: literally, “savory quality, delicious taste,” equivalent to uma-, the inflectional stem of umai “(to be) delicious” + -mi, a suffix forming abstract nouns from adjectives

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Ranch dressing is a sensory shortcut to pleasure: multiple alliums, acid, umami, herbs, suspended in a plush, mayo-forward cloud.

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They’re particularly compelling paired with cheese, where sweet and umami notes can strike a surprising balance.

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It’s one of the few sources of aspartic acid, which, along with glutamic acid, is responsible for the vegetable’s savory, umami flavor.

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He skins Walking Mushrooms with care, tosses their stubby feet into a hot pot with an eye for balance and umami.

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After some time in the oven, perfuming the entire house, the ham would emerge crispy and crackly on top—a perfect interplay of umami, sweetness, and spice.

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um Umar

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