Savoury and umami
Asafoetida, fermented pastes and dried mushrooms: a deep, meaty savour.
Umami spices give a savoury, meaty depth. Asafoetida, dried mushrooms, fermented pastes, tomato, dried seaweed and shrimp paste are the main sources.
What makes them umami
Umami is the taste of glutamates and certain other compounds. It appears in fermented and dried foods, where proteins have broken down. Spices that carry it include asafoetida, which gives an onion and meat note, and fermented pastes such as doubanjiang and gochujang.
How cooks use them
Shrimp paste is used in Southeast Asian curries, fermented black beans in Chinese food, and miso in Japanese. Asafoetida gives depth to vegetarian dishes in India. Dried chilli and tomato also add savour.
Tips
Umami also comes from slow cooking and browning. Combine sources, such as tomato and mushroom, for a fuller effect.
Savoury and umami on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Asafoetida: Toyah, CC BY-SA 3.0, source