Savory

Also called umami, this meaty taste is produced by glutamate, an amino acid found in meats and tomatoes. Other foods with high levels of glutamate that will make your dishes taste meatier are fish, mushrooms, cabbage, soy sauce, tea, and coffee. For example, although Butternut Squash and Tea Soup is vegan, the Lapsang Souchong tea leaves and dried mushrooms give it a rich, meaty flavor. Umami is not a characteristic flavor of Indian cooking.