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Heston Blumenthal
The Fat Duck Bray
Appears in
Although umami can be used to enhance the taste of some foods, it is only one of the five classified taste components. The others should not be dismissed as any less important than umami. However, an understanding of umami does help with the blend and balance of the different tastes. Chefs always put salt first when thinking about taste, but other tastes, notably acidity and bitterness, must never be forgotten, as they can add essential backbone to savory dishes.
My first surprising umami experience, one that really knocked me for six, occurred while eating a cold, cooked sea snail as part of a plateau de fruits de la mer at a fish restaurant in Montpellier, France in the 1980s. How can I describe the experience? As I ate it, I got a massive hit—an extremely pleasant fullness of taste that filled my mouth and also seemed to hit every part of my tongue, gums and roof of my mouth. It was a sensation that was surprising, unexpected but totally delicious.