umami

[ oo-mah-mee ]

/ uˈmɑ mi /

Save This Word!

noun

a strong meaty taste imparted by glutamate and certain other amino acids: often considered to be one of the basic taste sensations along with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!

In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”

Question 1 of 7

The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

affect

effect

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of umami

First recorded in 1960–65; from Japanese: literally, “savory quality, delicious taste,” equivalent to uma-, the inflectional stem of umai “(to be) delicious” + -mi, a suffix forming abstract nouns from adjectives

Words nearby umami

Ulundi, Uluru, Ulyanovsk, Ulysses, um, umami, Umar, Umar Tal, Umayyad, umbel, umbellate

How to use umami in a sentence

You can almost place it, it’s just at the tip of your tongue … ah, umami.
What is umami? No, really.|Elana Spivack|September 22, 2021|Popular-Science
These tools will be a great help to researchers who want to get a deeper understanding of what sets off the flood of umami flavors on the tongue—and in the brain.
What is umami? No, really.|Elana Spivack|September 22, 2021|Popular-Science
Here’s how to turn your grilled cheese sandwich into an umami bombAdd crunch on the outside.
How to make a better grilled cheese: 7 tips for a cheesier, crispier, more flavorful sandwich|Becky Krystal|September 21, 2021|Washington Post
Recently I used it to saute shredded pieces of cabbage for an infusion of umami, or you can melt it and toss it with cauliflower instead of oil before roasting.
Leftover bacon grease is liquid gold. Here’s how to put it to good use.|Aaron Hutcherson|September 10, 2021|Washington Post

For her, the cells added “umami flavor” to the plant burger and increased its juiciness—all for a much lower price than a pure cultured burger.
Your first lab-grown burger is coming soon—and it’ll be “blended”|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
This unsmoked, wet-cured ham is the sine qua non of Parisian butcher shops: a light, ephemeral meat, sweet but umami.
Easter's Top Five Hams|Mark Scarbrough|March 30, 2010|DAILY BEAST
If “umami” was recently accepted into the lexicon...maybe “tomato-ey” isn't that far behind.
The Only Food That Matters|Katie Workman|August 18, 2009|DAILY BEAST