Rice and Sake

How does rice end up with any umami taste when it has none in either its raw state or its cooked state? The addition of MSG or salt does not improve things noticeably, which is natural, given that neither the MSG nor the rice has any taste in and of itself. On the contrary, if one adds soy sauce, which contains a whole series of amino acids but no inosinate or guanylate, the rice becomes slightly tastier. It really starts to improve when one incorporates katsuobushi, which is an ingredient in some recipes for sushi rice, or another ingredient that also has a nucleotide to interact synergistically. This we know from those rice dishes that develop a delicious taste when the rice is combined with vegetables, omelette, fried or cooked meat, chicken bouillon, fish, or shellfish. Risotto