Umami
旨味
Tasting & Nosing
परिभाषा
The fifth basic taste, described as savory or brothy, and a fundamental element of sake flavor. Umami in sake comes from amino acids and peptides produced during koji enzyme activity and yeast autolysis during fermentation.
गहराई में
Professor Kikunae Ikeda identified umami in 1908, and sake is one of the richest natural sources of this taste. The primary umami compounds in sake are glutamic acid and its salts. Junmai styles with higher amino-san-do tend to show more umami, while highly polished daiginjo has less. Sake's umami is a key reason it pairs so well with food, as it amplifies and bridges flavors on the plate. When tasting sake, umami is perceived as a coating, mouth-filling sensation that extends the finish.