The
Swami of Umami: A New Way of Conceptualising Wine and Food
Matching
Wine expert
Tim Hanni, a Master of Wine in the USA, makes his living from
teaching about the concept of umami and how to pair wines with foods
containing this flavour profile. He even wears a T shirt saying,
“The Swami of Umami.”
So what is
umami? Well, traditionally it has been believed that the human
tongue can detect only four basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter and
salt. All flavours are made up of these four basic tastes in
different proportions. The nuances of flavour are then overlaid by
the sense of smell which can detect thousands of different
subtleties.
There is,
however, a new school of thought that proposes that the chemistry of
taste is more complex. Proponents say that there is a fifth basic
taste called umami.
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A
definition of umami is elusive. The basic principle is that
umami refers to tastes that involve the detection of amino acids
in glutamates. It is more than the simple detection of, say,
salt. It is an all encompassing mouth feel or sensation to
certain food and drinks. It is indicated by a sense of ripeness
and developed flavour of certain foods. The foods often
associated with umami are ripe tomatoes, protein rich foods such
as ripe cheeses, meat and some shellfish. |
Flavour
descriptors associated with umami are “mouth watering”,
“tastiness”, “mouth feel” “pungent,” meaty” and
“savouriness.” It is sometimes associated with a feeling of
perfect quality in taste, or of some special emotional circumstance
in which a taste is experienced. Cuinaire, Inc goes further and
says, “umami is an intangible satisfaction involved in the total
experience of eating. It also suggests a deep connection and
feeling of oneness with the food we eat.”
In relation
to wine, the most often occurring descriptor is “mouth feel”
and “texture.”
According to
Tim Hanni, umami explains a lot of the reason that some complex and
mature wines go so well with certain foods.
Another
proponent of umami is Randy Caparoso, an American wine commentator.
An oft quoted example of how he believes umami to work is this:
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“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.” |
So according
to the theory of umami, sweet wines go well with blue cheese, yet
sweet desserts with tannic wines make the wine seem unattractive.
Australian
winemaker and writer Dr Max Lake (founder of Lake’s Folly) has
written many books on food and wine. His books, including his
latest “Taste: The Shared Table Cooking, Wine” published in 2003,
uncover the virtues of understanding umami taste in food and wine.
Journalist Karen Milliner published an article in the Brisbane
Courier Mail in June 2003 that defined umami:
“Umami is the most recently
identified of the five tastes. It is sensitivity to glutamate, an
amino acid in meat, fish and legumes, and also used as a flavour
enhancer if the form of Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG). Umami
accentuates the savoury, salty and sweet nature of food. Parmesan
and tomatoes have natural free glutamate, and seaweed is high in
glutamic acid. A well-matured blue cheese gives a strong umami kick
to a sandwich.”
The word
umami is Japanese in origin. It is a derivation of the word “umai”
meaning delicious and “mi” meaning essence. The ultimate
umami additive is MSG, but this is not the only source. It is also
found in nucleotides such as disodium 5 guanylate (627), disodium 5
inosinate (631) and disodium 5 nucleotides (635).
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Foods
that are naturally high in umami are pastas with tomato and
parmesan, mushrooms, peas, corn and cured meats. Cooking styles
also contribute to the umami taste. Long slow cooking causes
the breakdown of proteins that release glutamate tastes in the
food. Glutamate is the most abundant amino acid in proteins and
the breakdown of proteins and subsequent release of glutamates
is one key in the release of umami flavours in food. |
Tim Hanni
points out that although there are general rules about wine and food
matching, such as pairing heavy wines with heavy foods, the basic
flavour interaction of wine and food cannot be fully explained by
the four primary tastes way of thinking. He says that the key to
ensuring a good wine and food combination is to understand how the
dominant taste in food impacts upon the taste of wine.
For example,
sweetness in food will increase a perception of sourness, bitterness
and astringency in wine. On the other hand, sourness and bitterness
in food will mask any bitter taste in the wine. Plain umami taste
increases the perception of bitterness in wine, whilst the addition
of salt to the umami flavoured food neutralizes this effect.
The umami
food and wine pairing principles are these:
- Sweet and/or umami tastes
and spiciness from hot ingredients make wine taste stronger.
- Sour and/or salty tastes in
food make wine taste milder.
“Umami is
the missing link that provides a breakthrough in unraveling the
mysteries of wine and food matching.”
Says Hanni. “The discovery of the umami concept makes it
possible for everyone to enjoy wine and food on their own terms.”
According to
Hanni, umami explains the “deliciousness created by fermenting,
curing and preserving” certain foods such as Parmigiano cheese,
dried shiitake mushrooms and vine ripened tomatoes. It also
explains why complex and mature wines seem to relate naturally to
more foods. The wide range of contrasting sensations in such a wine
stimulate an umami like effect on the palate.
So next time
you have a dish that suggests a sense of umami, try some of the
guidelines above with the wine pairing and discover the concept of
umami for yourself.
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