: 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
Carla Ranicki
: 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
Jay Rayner
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 WebAnn Maloney, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
It’s been sampled, imitated and injected into hip-hop — a sort of R&B umami.
—Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024
Sharp cheddar is the star of these savory cookies, bringing a welcome hit of umami.
—Jamila Robinson, Bon Appétit, 1 Dec. 2023
Two of the island’s best gelaterias, Il Gelato di Ulisse and Katia, each offer a dark chocolate with capers combo that bursts with bitter-salty-sweet umami.
—Laura Van Straaten, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2023
Even without the pork, the umami of the broth is all-encompassing, in the sesame, the miso and the slow burn from the tobanjan.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2023
The salty umami of miso combined with the sweetness of the squash and maple syrup result in a beautifully balanced bowl of soup.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2023
And with subtle umami from the naturally occurring MSG in tomatoes, this drink has surprising depth and richness.
—Antara Sinha, Bon Appétit, 7 Aug. 2023
The umami is everywhere, in the bottarga, in the tomato.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023
Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2024
Below are some of our favorite recipes from our archives that get spicy, umami twist from one of our favorite pantry items.
—Anna Rodriguez, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024
According to the scientists who’d developed it, each pink-tinged grain was seeded with muscle and fat cells from a cow, imparting a nutty, umami flavor.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024
Then come the beans for earthiness and protein (there’s no need to drain and rinse them, by the way), tomatoes for a touch of acidity and umami, and vegetable stock for the requisite liquid.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Out of a few culinary-grade matcha options, this one has little to no bitterness and dissolves nicely.
Taste: This matcha has a bit less of a pronounced flavor and has less umami to it than some of the ceremonial-grade options.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 26 Feb. 2024
Halibut is elevated by the fruity umami combination of white miso and good olive oil; striped bass is punched up with spicy za’atar.
—Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024
Other noted menu items are Jollibee's chicken sandwich with umami mayo and a spicy version topped with jalapeno slices, burgers, and its peach mango pie.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 5 Jan. 2024
Worcestershire sauce brings a hint of umami, and grated Parmesan provides salty, nutty, cheesy goodness.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2023
Noun
The flesh shrinks and drops about 20 percent of its weight, creating meat with rich umami.
—Ann Maloney, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
It’s been sampled, imitated and injected into hip-hop — a sort of R&B umami.
—Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024
Sharp cheddar is the star of these savory cookies, bringing a welcome hit of umami.
—Jamila Robinson, Bon Appétit, 1 Dec. 2023
Two of the island’s best gelaterias, Il Gelato di Ulisse and Katia, each offer a dark chocolate with capers combo that bursts with bitter-salty-sweet umami.
—Laura Van Straaten, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2023
Even without the pork, the umami of the broth is all-encompassing, in the sesame, the miso and the slow burn from the tobanjan.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2023
The salty umami of miso combined with the sweetness of the squash and maple syrup result in a beautifully balanced bowl of soup.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2023
And with subtle umami from the naturally occurring MSG in tomatoes, this drink has surprising depth and richness.
—Antara Sinha, Bon Appétit, 7 Aug. 2023
The umami is everywhere, in the bottarga, in the tomato.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023
Adjective
What distinguishes a Bloody Bull is a spoonful of beef broth concentrate that adds savory umami flavor without watering down the other ingredients.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2024
Below are some of our favorite recipes from our archives that get spicy, umami twist from one of our favorite pantry items.
—Anna Rodriguez, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024
According to the scientists who’d developed it, each pink-tinged grain was seeded with muscle and fat cells from a cow, imparting a nutty, umami flavor.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024
Then come the beans for earthiness and protein (there’s no need to drain and rinse them, by the way), tomatoes for a touch of acidity and umami, and vegetable stock for the requisite liquid.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Out of a few culinary-grade matcha options, this one has little to no bitterness and dissolves nicely.
Taste: This matcha has a bit less of a pronounced flavor and has less umami to it than some of the ceremonial-grade options.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 26 Feb. 2024
Halibut is elevated by the fruity umami combination of white miso and good olive oil; striped bass is punched up with spicy za’atar.
—Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024
Other noted menu items are Jollibee's chicken sandwich with umami mayo and a spicy version topped with jalapeno slices, burgers, and its peach mango pie.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 5 Jan. 2024
Worcestershire sauce brings a hint of umami, and grated Parmesan provides salty, nutty, cheesy goodness.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'umami.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Umami.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/umami. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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