Umami Synergism

When the umami substance glutamate coexists with the nucleotides inosinate, or guanylate, there is a boost in the intensity of the umami above that exhibited by a single umami substance in isolation. This is known as the synergistic effect of umami. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that umami synergy is most intense at a 1:1 ratio of glutamate and inosinate, approximately seven to eight times stronger than when the two are sampled separately. This does not mean that mixing glutamate and inosinate results in an increase in the actual volume of umami substance, but that people can perceive a greater intensity of umami.