Podcast Summary
Discovering Umami: The Fifth Taste: Japanese chemist Dr. Kikunai Ikeda discovered umami in 1909 as a savory taste, but it took nearly a century for the scientific community to acknowledge it as a valid taste due to its subtlety and lack of initial recognition.
The Japanese chemist, Dr. Kikunai Ikeda, discovered a fifth taste, umami, in 1909. Umami is a savory taste, distinct from the previously recognized tastes of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Ikeda isolated umami from kombu seaweed and identified it as an amino acid called glutamate. However, it took nearly 100 years for the scientific community to accept umami as a valid taste. In this episode of NPR's Shortwave, we'll explore why it took so long for umami to be recognized, despite being right under the noses of scientists for decades. Stay tuned to learn more about the history of umami and its journey to acceptance in the scientific world.
Discovering Umami: A Unique Taste Experience: Umami, a fifth taste, offers a warming, rich taste and textural quality, popularized in American food culture over the last few decades, identified by Kikunae Ikeda in 1908, and now accessible through various purchases with Apple Card or supplements from Integrative Therapeutics.
Umami, often described as savoriness or deliciousness, is a unique taste experience that goes beyond the initial sensory impact. It has a textural and temporal quality that other basic tastes don't demonstrate. Umami has gained significant popularity in American food culture over the last few decades, with many restaurants, brands, and even grocery services adopting the name. Known for its warming and rich taste, umami was first identified as a fifth taste by Kikunae Ikeda over a century ago, but it wasn't until 2002 that his research was translated into English. Apple Card users can earn cash back on various purchases, including 3% daily cash on Apple purchases, 2% on all other Apple Card with Apple Pay purchases, and 1% on everything else. Integrative Therapeutics offers clinician-curated supplements for those looking to unlock their best selves, now available on Amazon.
The Discovery and Controversy Surrounding Umami and Monosodium Glutamate: The discovery of umami, or savory taste, and the commercialization of monosodium glutamate (MSG) faced complex reception in the US due to unproven health claims and cultural biases.
The discovery of umami, or savory taste, and the commercialization of monosodium glutamate (MSG) by Kikunae Ikeda in the early 20th century had a complex reception in the US. Ikeda's research wasn't widely recognized in the US, but his product, MSG, became popular and later faced controversy due to unproven claims of negative health effects, fueled in part by anti-Asian sentiment and a general wariness of chemicals. MSG is considered the purest form of umami, and food scientists view it as the poster child for stimulating umami taste responses. Despite the controversy, MSG remains a common food additive today. The story of MSG's discovery and reception highlights the complex relationship between science, food, and cultural biases.
Japan's post-WW1 emphasis on nutrition research and umami's role: Japan prioritized nutrition research post-WW1 due to self-sufficiency concerns, focusing on umami in fermented foods to distinguish from Western research, leading to slower global recognition
Ikeda's umami research during the 20th century was influenced by the broader context of Japanese nutrition research, which was driven by economic and political concerns. After World War 1, Japan placed a strong emphasis on nutrition research due to concerns about self-sufficiency and potential food shortages. Flavor, particularly in fermented foods and seasonings like sake, soy sauce, and miso, was a significant part of the Japanese diet and economy. Research into umami, the fifth taste, was therefore an important aspect of this nutrition research. However, some Japanese researchers strategically focused on areas specific to Japan to distinguish their work from Western research. Ikeda's umami research, which did not directly translate to Western tastes or foods, may have been overlooked for this reason. This historical context sheds light on why umami research did not gain widespread recognition outside of Japan until later. Victoria Lee's book, "The Arts of the Microbial World," provides further insight into this topic.
Japanese scientists' research on umami during WW1 faced resistance due to xenophobia and local focus: Historical and cultural factors, including xenophobia and a focus on local resources, delayed the recognition of umami as a distinct taste sensation in the scientific community.
Historical and cultural factors played a significant role in the discovery and recognition of umami as the fifth taste. In Japan during World War 1, scientists like Kikunae Ikeda were conducting groundbreaking research on umami, but resources and information were limited due to xenophobia and the focus on local resources. Ikeda presented his findings at an international conference in New York in 1912, but there was no immediate widespread acceptance or follow-up research in the US. American scientists like Ernest C. Crocker held theories that challenged the existence of umami as a distinct taste, and the scientific community was still debating the criteria for what qualified as a taste. Additionally, the longstanding tradition of the four basic tastes may have contributed to the reluctance to acknowledge umami as a fifth taste. These historical and cultural factors combined to delay the recognition of umami as a distinct taste sensation, despite its presence in many foods.
The Long Journey of Umami's Acceptance in the West: Scientific discoveries are influenced by cultural contexts and corporate interests, as seen in the acceptance of umami as a fifth basic taste in the Western world.
The acceptance of umami as a fifth basic taste in the Western world took a long time and was influenced by both scientific discoveries and cultural shifts. American researchers' embrace of umami came about at the turn of the century when they discovered specific glutamate receptors in both the human brain and tongue. However, this discovery was a long time coming, as Ikeda, a Japanese scientist, had discovered the existence of umami over a century ago. The motivation for the scientific community to explore umami further was not only due to the biological evidence but also due to corporate interests, as the anti-MSG fears in the US were hurting the bottom line of Ajinomoto, Ikeda's company. This example shows that scientific discoveries are not always independent of social forces and cultural contexts. It's important to remember that even the most fundamental cultural principles and ideas have a history and were not always so. The forthcoming book "Delicious" by Sara Tracy explores the history of MSG, umami, and the cultural and historical contexts that shaped their acceptance. This episode was reported and produced by Chloe Weiner, edited by Giselle Grayson, fact-checked by Katherine Seifer, and engineered by Natasha Branch. Andrea Kissick is the head of the science desk, and Edith Chapin and Terrence Samuel are the executive editors and vice presidents of news.
The Power of Collaboration and Knowledge-Sharing in Scientific Research: Collaboration and knowledge-sharing among researchers from diverse fields can lead to significant scientific advancements, as demonstrated by the work of the Umami Information Center team on umami, the fifth taste sensation.
Learning from this episode of Shortwave, the Daily Science podcast from NPR, is the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in scientific research. We heard from Nancy Barnes, the senior vice president of news at NPR, about the role of the Umami Information Center and its team members, Michael Gordon, Scott Montgomery, Kumiko Ni no Miya, and Masaaki Uchida, in contributing to the scientific community. Their work on umami, the fifth taste sensation, showcases the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and the significance of sharing information to advance scientific understanding. This episode highlights the importance of working together and the ripple effect that can occur when knowledge is shared openly.
