Did you know that the name umami, the fifth taste sensation next to saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, and sourness, has its roots in Hawaii?
In 1985, the term umami was recognized as the scientific term to describe the taste of glutamates and nucleotides at the first Umami International Symposium in Hawaii. Umami can be described as a pleasant “brothy” or “meaty” taste with a long-lasting, mouthwatering and coating sensation over the tongue. I like to think of it as savoriness.
Whatever it is you cook, be sure to consider the need for ingredients that add umami. These ingredients include mushrooms and fermented foods and yeasts, hence why they are often associated with Japanese flavors. Some ingredients we use frequently here in Hawaii are shoyu, fish paste and miso. In Europe, cheese is another umami packed ingredient.
I added a few more tools to my cooking, perhaps most notably nutritional yeast, which isn’t well known other than to vegetarians. It’s not the type of yeast that makes bread rise, but rather – a type of inactivated yeast often grown on a vitamin B12 culture. It’s what our ohana calls our secret ingredient. I’ll often add nutritional yeast – nicknamed “nooch” by avid users – in place of salt for a fuller flavor.
You can find nutritional yeast at health food stores, including Whole Foods. You can also buy some online. It keeps well, and a little goes a long way so you won’t have to make too much of an effort to find and store some.
The way we discovered the value of nutritional yeast has its roots in Hawaii’s higher food prices. Back in the SF Bay Area, where we lived for many years, we could get a five pound bag of shredded parmesan (the good kind) for $15. Here, we could go to Safeway and get a pound we had to grate ourselves. Given how much my son loved cheese bread, I set about to find a substitute.
What we found has become a staple in our household, most notably as the most amazing garlic butter you’ll ever have. We spread it on sourdough bread, then grill it on the stove. It was so popular with my son that in middle school he insisted on bringing a tray of toast to a school potluck.
I laughed and explained that people don’t bring toast to a potluck. He insisted, and sure enough, everyone initially laughed. However, by the end of the event everyone that didn’t get a slice felt left out. As we say here, “Dey wen’ pound em. Broke da mouth ‘ono.”
Here’s the general recipe, but feel free to adjust to taste:
1 stick butter 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
An added bonus to the nutritional yeast butter is that it browns up nicely, giving the toast a crunchy texture that is visually appealing. Give this blend a try. If you’re like our family, you may find that you always have a container of it in your fridge. And whatever you cook, remember to add ingredients with umami. It takes your cooking to the next level.