The Delicious Taste of Umami

By Dana Jacobi
for the American Institute for Cancer Research

MSG has been making headlines again. In recent months, monosodium glutamate (MSG) – the synthetic additive that food manufacturers and restaurant cooks sometimes add to foods to enhance flavor – has been featured in the New York Times and in AICR’s own e-newsletter.

MSG was once vilified for provoking “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” (symptoms included burning sensations, palpitations, chest pain and headache); “No MSG” notices blossomed on Chinese take-out menus and on many packaged foods. But the additive’s recent time in the spotlight has been less disparaging. According to the Times article, Chinese Restaurant Syndrome “has been thoroughly debunked.”

In fact, far from disappearing, synthetically produced MSG is still widely used. Although it is frequently an ingredient in ethnic products like Asian and Latino food, it also makes its way into commercially manufactured goods such as sauces, mayonnaise, broth and instant noodles.

Why do people want glutamate – an amino acid found naturally in protein-rich foods? In a word: umami. Often called the fifth taste sensation (along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty), umami is the savory or “meaty” taste that is linked to the presence of glutamate. It is said to enhance a food’s natural flavor while having a “mouthwatering, robust” effect on the pallet.

Currently, umami flavor is the darling of chefs and foodies, who seek it in its natural form. Familiar food sources include: mushrooms, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, egg yolks, soy sauce and nori, a sea vegetable.

One secret to harnessing the umami flavor is to use natural sources of glutamate as flavor helpers. For example, sprinkle grated Parmesan on salads, add sautéed chopped mushrooms to meatloaf and burgers, or dash soy sauce into a stir-fry.

This week’s recipe for a simple sushi of teriyaki-glazed salmon and brown rice will be sure to wake-up the umami taste buds on your tongue. Making the teriyaki sauce from scratch using just three ingredients (soy sauce, sugar and mirin – a sweet Japanese rice wine) eliminates a host of preservatives and other additives found in many commercial versions.

Teriyaki Salmon with Sushi Rice

1 cup short-grain brown rice, rinsed
1 2/3 cups cold water
4 tsp. rice vinegar
4-5 tsp. sugar, divided
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin, or 3 Tbsp. sake
12 ounces skinless salmon filet, cut into 4
(3 oz.) fingers
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup cucumber, seeded, peeled and finely
chopped
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

Place wet rice in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan with tight-fitting cover. Add cold water. Set covered pot over medium-high heat. When it boils, cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook 20 minutes. Let cooked rice sit, covered, for 20 minutes. Sprinkle on vinegar and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Using a fork, mix until they are well blended. Cover and set aside.

Coat an 8” skillet with cooking spray. Add soy sauce and mirin, or sake. If using mirin, add 3 teaspoons sugar or, if using sake add 4 teaspoons sugar. Over medium heat, bring liquid to a boil, swirling the pan to dissolve sugar.

When liquid is reduced by one third, add salmon. Turn fish every 2 minutes, using tongs, until it is glazed outside and opaque in center, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat, if necessary, so sauce does not boil out. Set fish aside.

Add red pepper, cucumber, and ginger to the warm sushi rice and mix with a fork until combined. Divide rice among 4 plates, shaping it into a bed. Set a piece of salmon on top of rice on each plate, spoon on any sauce remaining in the pan, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 400 calories, 10 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 49 g carbohydrates, 22 g protein,
2 g dietary fiber, 440 mg sodium.

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The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results. It has contributed more than $86 million for innovative research conducted at universities, hospitals and research centers across the country. AICR has published two landmark reports that interpret the accumulated research in the field, and is committed to a process of continuous review. AICR also provides a wide range of educational programs to help millions of Americans learn to make dietary changes for lower cancer risk. Its award-winning New American Plate program is presented in brochures, seminars and on its website, www.aicr.org. AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.