Despite the near global recognition of the scientific name of the most recognized molecule responsible for the umami experience, monosodium glutamate--and its ubiquitously recognized and shunned acronym MSG --not many people truly understand what this taste is, where it comes from, and why it has remained controversial over the past many decades.
The sensation of umami was first described (and also named) by Japanese food scientist Kikunae Ikeda in the early 1900s. Ikeda also founded the company to start the manufacturing of this molecule, extracted from the Kombu sea vegetable (most likely the variant Saccharina japonica var. ochotensis). As a result, the study of Umami that subsequently followed in the decades to come was also predominantly in Japan. The use of umami-rich ingredients in foods is specifically concentrated in Japanese cooking, as was the extraction and popularization of MSG in cooking. Ikeda was excited about his discovery because he thought to make otherwise bland (healthy) foods taste delicious, and by adding the isolated MSG to foods, would improve the national diet of Japan, encouraging children to eat otherwise less-than-tasty foods (and adults, likewise, though Ikeda viewed this as a less acute problem). Despite all of the copious linkages between Japan and the umami experience, the negative reputation of this controversial molecule is actually rooted in racism in America against the Chinese, and the reactions to the molecule to this day are still based in what was once termed "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome." The racism is still continuing to this day, pervasive even in conversation I have personally had in just the last week. Despite incontrovertible evidence that there is no traceable toxicity of this particular molecule. Celebrity chef David Chang has pushed back hard against this nonsense.
0 Comments
When we are seeking delicious food, we are seeking more than flavor. Besides our hands, the brain dedicates more nerve space to the face, especially the mouth and nose, than any other part of the body. Beyond the obvious seat of four out of five of our senses, the head is also the first part of our bodies to interact with the world at large. Whether we are looking for savory or sweet foods to stimulate our desires, we are actually seeking complex stimulation of a complicated evolutionary developed sensory system. It shouldn’t be a surprise that these senses are so deeply wired into our being. It is likely that our sensory abilities started with the very first organic cell consuming the first bit of food.
But we are seeking more than that now. We have become refined in our desires, and have become savvy in editing our world to create the experiences that bring us the most sensual joy. A chef friend of mine once said that the act of dining is the only act we make in which we engage all five senses: seeing the setting and then taking in the decorated plates in from of us, we are hearing our surroundings, the soft music, the buzz of voices; we are smelling the myriad smalls from our own table and others; feeling the soft tablecloth or cold metal ware in our hands, and of course tasting the food in front of us. Seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling… these are familiar to any of us. But what is tasting? Most people confuse the term “to taste,” which has come to mean examining the flavor of the food, the sum total of what makes something phenomenal or just so-so. But scientifically and sensually, taste is a very specific set of chemical sensors isolated to the mouth parts of our body. Flavor on the other hand, which is what many people refer to when the mention taste, is much more involved than that. |
Zachary Hunter
Zachary Hunter is a lifelong devotee to flavor, a professionally trained chef who has been obsessed with mushrooms and uncovering the unknown with regards to edible mushroom chemistry and physiology. He is a member of the NAMA's (North American Mycological Association) Culinary Committee. He lives in Oaxaca, Mexico with his wife Kimberly Hunter--known collectively as the "Mushroom Hunters"--where they offer experiential immersions: artisan-maker intensives as Traveling Traders Bazaar and Mushroom adventures as The Fungivore. 2024 will be their sixth season curating adventures together in Mexico. Learn more at TheFungivore.com or TravelingTradersBazaar.com Archives
April 2024
Categories |