Poll: Umami, The New MSG?
Have you ever wondered why certain foods just taste so good and induce extreme cravings in some people?
We all know that our tongue tastes sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, but did you know a Japanese chemist, Kikunae Ikeda, actually isolated a fifth taste back in 1908 called "Umami"?
This chemical receptor in the tongue is why some foods taste so good and explains why some people would rather eat bacon than have sex. Apparently, this chemical triggers your brain's pleasure centers, so basically the food is giving you a type of high.
Many foods naturally contain this chemical such as aged parmesan cheese, prosciutto, mushrooms, and of course bacon! It just so happens that this chemist also was responsible for patenting the notorious MSG based on his research.
So what's the deal with Umami, well food companies are catching on and they've begun to add this to food products. Umami Burger has opened in California and in the UK you can buy Umami Paste and add it to food yourself.
As the developed world faces a huge obesity problem I'm not sure it's wise to promote such a product as Umami that will encourage people to have eating orgasms with everything they put in their mouths.....
Will Umami additives cause people to overeat and contribute to obesity?
10 Comments
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Created / Updated: March 6, 2010
Weight regulation comes from setting the endocrine system straight. Once this is done, leptin will limit hunger and increase metabolism if you are overweight (and do the converse if you are underweight). Your body takes care of all this itself IF you haven't broken the system.
Unless Umami disrupts the endocrine system, then this is a non-issue.
ReplyI think it's sort of strange that they discovered umami back in 1908 but people act like it's some new taste sensation. I don't know what food companies are exactly planning on adding to their food, but a lot of companies right now already add flavorings that are deemed superpalatable to hook consumers into buying them. The flavor combination for Nacho Cheese Doritos is considered to be one of the more addictive flavors out there...I'm fairly sure it tickles the umami taste buds. So umami additions are really nothing new to food manufacturers.
ReplySpectra is right. But, if this stuff does do this.. just more to add to the already burgeoning obesity crisis here & spreading around the world!
ReplyIf used wisely then it can solve the obesity problem.
Just spread the paste on a boring healthy potato or whatever and get your eating orgasm without resorting to sweets.
It will never happen but I am just trying to analyse your question better.
ReplyThis was my thought exactly - if adding it can make healthy foods taste "better" (to certain palates), then excellent. The real question is whether the taste can be added without also adding other unhealthy ingredients like more sodium or processed sugar.
And I, too, find it funny that it's just now becoming a "thing." Fads work in weird ways!
ReplyI'm with you b, I think the real problem is the other ingredients present in this.
ReplyWhat if you put it on veggies? ;)
ReplyUmami isn't anything weird or exotic; it's just the "savory" flavor of things like meat or roasted vegetables. It can't be "the new MSG" -- MSG is an additive that brings out the umami flavors in food. (Other things that do it are ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.)
Is this article implying that flavorful foods themselves are responsible for the obesity epidemic? (Would we be better off eating only bland foods to make sure we don't overindulge?) If not, an all-natural additive like the one above is a far better choice than increasing umami flavors with MSG or extra salt.
The ingredients of Taste No. 5 are tomato puree, garlic, anchovy paste, black olive, balsamic vinegar, porcini mushrooms, parmesan cheese, olive oil, vinegar, sugar and salt. (It's basically a highly concentrated pasta sauce.) If you like it, there's absolutely no reason not to add it to your food.
ReplyIt looks gross to me. Umami in a tube? MSG is a part of umami.
ReplyI have been enjoyed umami in a real food. not from the TUBE! It is gross!!!
What does umami taste like out of the tube? and does it really make food taste better? what is the nutrition content?
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