旨味(うまみ)

うまみ
noun
umami; savoriness
1. umami; savory taste
The fifth basic taste alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. A pleasant savory taste found in foods containing glutamates and nucleotides, such as aged cheese, fermented products, and meat.
昆布(こんぶ)から旨味(うまみ)が出(で)る。
Umami comes out of the kelp.
発酵食品(はっこうしょくひん)は旨味(うまみ)が豊(ゆた)かだ。
Fermented foods are rich in umami.
この料理(りょうり)は旨味(うまみ)が凝縮(ぎょうしゅく)されている。
The umami is concentrated in this dish.
2. good flavor; deliciousness
More generally, the pleasing flavor or richness of food that makes it delicious.
この料理(りょうり)は旨味(うまみ)が凝縮(ぎょうしゅく)されている。
The umami is concentrated in this dish.

ORTHOGRAPHY:
Can also be written as 旨み(うまみ) or うま味(み). The kanji 旨(うま) means "delicious" or "tasty."

SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND:
Umami was identified by Japanese chemist 池田菊苗(いけだきくなえ) in 1908, who discovered that glutamate was responsible for the savory taste of 昆布(こんぶ) (kelp). The term "umami" is now used internationally in food science.

UMAMI-RICH FOODS:

  • 昆布(こんぶ) - kelp
  • 鰹節(かつおぶし) - dried bonito flakes
  • 味噌(みそ) - miso
  • 醤油(しょうゆ) - soy sauce
  • 椎茸(しいたけ) - shiitake mushrooms
  • チーズ - cheese (especially aged)
  • トマト - tomatoes

COLLOCATIONS:

  • 旨味(うまみ)を引(ひ)き出(だ)す - to bring out the umami
  • 旨味(うまみ)が染(し)み込(こ)む - for umami to soak in
  • 旨味成分(うまみせいぶん) - umami compounds

Related Words

Related: 甘味(あまみ) (sweetness)
general
Added 2026.1.18 22:10 · Revised 2026.1.24 23:24
06500/06998_umami