umami

1 of 2

noun

uma·​mi ü-ˈmä-mē 

: the taste sensation that is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides (such as glutamate and aspartate) and has a rich or meaty flavor characteristic of cheese, cooked meat, mushrooms, soy, and ripe tomatoes : savory entry 2 sense 2

Umami is often described as a meaty flavor and is particularly strong in aged or fermented products, like cheese and wine.

—Carla Ranicki

compare bitter entry 2 sense 1b, salty entry 2 sense 1b, sour entry 2 sense 1b, sweet entry 3 sense 2

umami

2 of 2

adjective

: being, inducing, or marked by one of the five basic taste sensations that is typically induced by several amino acids and nucleotides (such as glutamate and aspartate) and has a rich or meaty flavor characteristic of cheese, cooked meat, mushrooms, soy, and ripe tomatoes

A crab risotto made from local crabs is powerful with the big umami flavor of brown meat.

—Jay Rayner

: savory entry 1 sense e compare bitter entry 1 sense 1a, salty entry 1 sense 1b, sour entry 1 sense 1, sweet entry 1 sense 1

Did you know?

A Japanese scientist was the first to discover the savory taste of the amino acid glutamic acid, which was found to occur in soup stocks made with seaweed. This fifth basic taste—alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter—was named umami, meaning "savoriness" in Japanese. Umami can be experienced in foods such as mushrooms, anchovies, and mature cheeses, as well as in foods enhanced with monosodium glutamate, or MSG, a sodium salt derived from glutamic acid.

Examples of umami in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The umami of the ground beef and acidity of the tomato in this dish fit together with this wine like a hand in a glove. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2024

Just as a way to kind of take mushrooms from their raw state to really crispy, salty rich umami forward. —Bon Appétit, 9 Oct. 2024

Adjective

Its tasting-menu-only spot elevates local ingredients with decadent touches like umami butter and caviar. —Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2024

There's a hint of chiles that brings an almost umami flavor to the sweet drink. —Megan Stringer, Axios, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Japanese, savoriness, flavor

First Known Use

Noun

1963, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1978, in the meaning defined above

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Medical Definition

umami

noun

uma·​mi ü-ˈmä-mē 

: a taste sensation that is meaty or savory and is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides (as aspartate, inosinate, and glutamate)

umami adjective