How your tongue tastes the bubbly: Sour taste buds Oct 16, 2009
After all, the human tongue is supposed to sense just five flavors: bitter, sweet, salty, sour and umami, sometimes called savory. It turns out that the taste buds that let us sense sourness have an enzyme on their surface that interacts with carbon dioxide, said researchers from the University of California, San Diego, and the National Institutes of Health. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Common herbicides and fibrates block nutrient-sensing receptor found in gut and pancreas Oct 10, 2009
The T1R3 receptor is a critical component of both the sweet taste receptor and the umami (amino acid) taste receptor. First identified on the tongue, emerging evidence indicates that T1R3 and related taste receptors also are located on hormone-producing cells in the intestine and pancreas. (EurekAlert!)
Los Angeles Dining Habits Change in Weak Economy Consumer Spending Declines While Dining Deals Increase Sep 24, 2009
Casual spots Tin Roof Bistro and Bouzy Gastropub have debuted with moderate prices, while Umami Burger and Golden State have joined the ranks of the ever-popular burger joints. Brentwood's Tavern, a new American bistro, features a front-of-house market, where diners and shoppers can try and buy cheeses and charcuterie. (PR Newswire)
We all have a taste for umami Sep 16, 2009
A Japanese word that loosely translates as "deliciousness," umami is widely recognized as the fifth taste, distinct from the favors classically recognized in the Western world: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Umami (oo-MAH-mee) is a meaty, savory quality derived from amino acids ... Foods said to produce umami include meats, cheeses, mushrooms, soy and fish sauces, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and seaweed. (The Augusta Chronicle)
'Electronic Tongue' With A Taste For Sweets Aug 18, 2009
"To be considered a true electronic tongue, the device must detect not just sweet, but sour, salty, bitter, and umami the five main human tastes," he says. Umami means meaty or savory. (Science Daily)
Variants of 'umami' taste receptor contribute to our individualized flavor worlds Jul 9, 2009
Research confirms identity of human umami receptor. PHILADELPHIA (July 8, 2009) -- Using a combination of sensory, genetic, and in vitro approaches, researchers from the Monell Center confirm that the T1R1-T1R3 taste receptor plays a role in human umami (amino acid) taste ... They further report that variations in the genes that code for this receptor correspond to individual variation in sensitivity to and perceived intensity of umami taste. (EurekAlert!)
ASK THE EXPERTSWhy do two great tastes sometimes not taste great together? May 23, 2009
Among the five tastes, salty, sweet and umami (meaty or savory) are appetitive, driving us toward essential nutrients, whereas bitter and sour are aversive, alerting us to potentially harmful substances. Mixing the aversive with the appetitive sends conflicting information to the brain, and confusion is what are trying to avoid as they supply you with useful, lifesaving information. (Scientific American)
And don't hold the anchovies May 13, 2009
Local Search Site Search. THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING. (Boston Globe)
Make your own peanut sauce to avoid MSG Apr 29, 2009
He dubbed the flavor umami, Japanese for delicious. He further noted that a sea vegetable Japanese cooks had used for centuries was particularly rich in the stuff. (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)
Black Garlic, New Gourmet Ingredien... Mar 21, 2009
Black Garlic, New Gourmet Ingredient: Umami-rich, deeply-flavored, fermented - odd and wonderful ... Umami-rich, deeply-flavored, fermented - odd and wonderful ... What is clear is that there must be a fair amount of umami produced in the fermentation process. (Suite101.com)
Updates: Whatever Happened to Drugs from Goats? Mar 7, 2009
Savory Sensation The much debated fifth taste, umami, has slowly been building credibility since its discovery in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda; most scientists believed that it was a mix of the other four tastes [see ; SciAm, August 2008 ... A recent study reveals how the receptor, shaped like a Venus flytrap, snaps shut on glutamate and how two other molecules can act as umami enhancers by binding next to the receptor and keeping glutamate in it for longer. (Scientific American)
