Umami
The savoury taste of glutamate-rich food, which spices can deepen but rarely supply.
Also: savoury taste, fifth taste, kokumi cousin
Umami is a Japanese term coined in 1908 by the chemist Kikunae Ikeda for the taste of glutamate, found in kombu, ripe tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, meat and fermented sauces. Spices rarely carry umami themselves, but they interact with it. Asafoetida, fried onion and garlic, and tomato in an Indian base create a savoury depth, while dried mushrooms and fermented bean paste do so in Chinese cooking. Spices also mask or balance bitterness and salt, changing how umami is perceived. Black salt and dried tomato powder supply savoury notes in spice blends. Perceived depth often comes from combined sources.