Umami: A Universal Taste

Umami is often mistakenly considered a taste unique to Japanese or other Asian cuisines. It is true that most umami substances were first identified by Japanese scientists. Chinese cuisine generously uses seasonings and condiments high in umami. Other Asian cuisines with their umami-rich fish sauces and pastes have no doubt encouraged the idea of umami as a taste peculiar to Asia. But umami is not unique to Japan, or to the Asian region in general. The broths and stocks of western cooking, and the sauces used in French cooking, capitalize on umami to the greatest possible extent, and umami has been imparting its unique allure to countless dishes for thousands of years. So why does this misconception arise?