Umami

Umami…if you didn’t know better you’d think it was some kind of new dance craze. You know, everyone’s doin’ the umami, or something like that. But here in the wine world, umami is taken quite seriously. At least by some folks

Umami is something that, in recent years, has come to be referred to as the “fifth taste.” Historically, it was believed that the human tongue can detect only four basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter and salt; every taste is simply some combination of these. These days, many researchers, scientists, and wine and food experts believe that the chemistry of taste is much more complicated than that, involving one’s sense of smell, the texture of the substance being consumed and even the noise a food makes as it is being chewed.

This is where umami comes into play. It’s not an easy concept to describe, however. Umami refers to a taste resulting from the presence of amino acids called glutamates. It is often described as the “overall reaction or feel of the palate to certain foods and beverages,” and is associated with the sense of ripeness and developed flavor of some foods including vegetables such as ripe tomatoes and protein-rich foods such as aged cheeses, meats and shellfish. “Delicious” and “mouth-watering” are other adjectives used to describe the sense of umami, along with “tastiness’, “mouth satisfaction” or “savoriness”.  With wine, the adjective may be referred to as “texture”. Kikunae Ikeda, the Japanese professor who first identified umami in the early 1900s, believed umami was one of the only two senses, besides sweetness, that is perceived by the palate as pleasant.

Sound like mumbo jumbo? Not to wine experts like Tim Hanni, a Master of Wine who makes his living espousing the complexities of umami and teaching people how to pair wines with food containing the elusive sense. According to Hanni, the significance of umami in food and wine pairing can not be overstated. It goes a very long way toward explaining why some wines, especially those that are more complex and mature, naturally better complement some foods. 

Wine aficionado, Randy Caparoso, discusses umami at length on his website, Randy’s World of Wine – www.wine-lovers-page.com/randysworld.  He gives the following illustration – “A young, thick, fruity California Cabernet Sauvignon, for instance, is predictably good with a simple cut of wood charred beef. But if you braise beef with a myriad of seasonings and vegetables and serve it in a complex, natural reduction, a young, thick, fruity California Cabernet ends up tasting rough, somewhat belligerent with that dish. On the other hand, an older, earthier, less fruity but gentle style of Cabernet Sauvignon from France's Bordeaux region is more likely to taste quite round and smooth in the context of braised beef. It ain't the meat, it's the motion.”

Specific tastes play off each other. For example salt cuts bitterness, ultimately enhancing sweetness. Eat something that is slightly bitter and add a pinch of salt, as my grandmother would always add a pinch of salt on my morning cantaloupe or grapefruit. The flavor of the fruit becomes sweeter. Sugar (sweet) in a savory dish will create a huge difference.  Pairing a young fruity Cabernet Sauvignon with a savory seasoned pot roast will kill the fruit of the wine.  Keep the protein simple, as it seems to calm the tannins.

Sweet wine with a dessert of bleu cheeses, dried fruits and bittersweet chocolate offer a wonderful blend of flavors.  Salty foods quiet the sweetness and augment the fruitiness. Sweet desserts with tannic wine will make the wine seem “off”, while slightly salty foods magnify the tannins. Wines high in acid will taste less acidic with salty or sweet food and cut through the oiliness of certain foods and sauces.

Still sound complicated? Okay, let me see if I can make it simpler. All you really have to remember is that the more umami a food contains, the more it will disturbs the wine’s flavor/acidity/fruit balance.  The addition of acidity and salt into the food will correct this imbalance.

Imagine looking through a camera lens (your palate) at a picture (Chardonnay). It is perfectly clear and in focus.  Throw in a food that is high in umami (lobster) and it will immediately knock the image out of focus.  What used to taste good will not anymore. The gradual addition of salt and acid (lemon juice) will bring the picture (the wine) back into focus (balance).

The ultimate lesson to be learned here is that you can successfully pair any wine with any food once you understand the concept of umami and how it influences the sensory enjoyment of wine. So, when it comes to seasoning food, let your fifth sense guide you. Season, eat, drink and enjoy!