Umami , the savory flavor found in kombu, is regarded as one of the five basic tastes. Previously, there were only four basic tastes, but kombu possesses a taste that simply could not be categorized in any one of those tastes. This delightful taste, which is abundant in kombu, was named Umami and has since become the fifth basic taste.
Professor Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University, who focused on the fact that Japanese food had used kombu for soup stock since ancient times, conducted research to understand the secret of the taste of kombu stock. In 1908, he discovered that kombu's taste came from the Umami component. Umami was discovered in Japan, so then the term Umami began to be used internationally after the First International Symposium on Umami in 1985.
Kombu seaweed contains glutamic acids, which are the basis of Umami. Combine that with inosinic acids in meats or bonito flakes、along with guanylic acids in shiitake mushrooms, and you get a synergy of Umami; each acid bringing out the best flavors in the others. The secret to great cooking lies in combining Umami.
The synergistic effect of Umami is used throughout the world. Stock, which is the base of all dishes around the world, uses the synergistic effect of flavors. The Umami found in kombu seaweeds are known and used worldwide.
