Today's Word: Umami (Noun)
Pronunciation: [yu-'mah-mee]
Definition 1: No, today's word is not an illiterate reference to your mother but a word representing what many believe is a fifth taste, that of monosodium glutamate! The same taste is referred to as "xian wei" in Chinese cooking.
Usage 1: The consensus is that the human tongue can detect only four basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter and salty, and that all other tastes are combinations of these plus smell and texture. Some Japanese, however, contend that we have a fifth taste, that of savory, and they have named it umami "good taste."
Suggested Usage: Recent years have seen an upsurge of restaurants and cooking shows in the US, especially those offering haute cuisine. Could we be witnessing a umami tsunami "a tidal wave of good taste?" Since the actual meaning of today's word is "good taste," there is no reason not to use it in that meaning, especially to insinuate a bit of mystery: "You've added a new umami to your vegetable soup; I can't quite identify it but I like it."
Brought to you by http://www.yourdictionary.com
No comments:
Post a Comment