# umami

/uˈmɑmi/ (US) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/umami
Updated: 2026-09-28

## Definition

a savory taste that is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. You find it in foods like mushrooms, aged cheese, and soy sauce.

For teachers: a category of taste corresponding to the flavour of glutamates, often described as savoury or meaty. It is one of the five basic tastes alongside sweetness, sourness, saltiness, and bitterness.

## Examples

- Mushrooms add a lot of umami to the soup.
- Chefs often add ingredients like parmesan cheese or tomato paste to a dish to increase its umami profile.
- The identification of specific glutamate receptors on the tongue confirmed umami as a distinct primary taste, separate from the traditional four-taste model.

## Usage notes

- Often used as a noun to describe the taste itself or as an adjective to describe a flavour profile.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.