UMAMI TASTE AND TRADITIONAL SEASONING

Dietary cultures vary in different parts of the world. Many traditiona l seasonings have been used for centuries to add rich flavor for dishe s in each area. A famous Chinese philosopher, Confucious (552-479 B.C. ), said in his book that a seasoning made by fermentation of meat with minor cereals, salt water, and alcohol was indispensable for eating. This fermented meat is considered to be an origin of fermented bean pr oducts such as bean paste and soy sauce. Soybeans were used for fermen ted products considerably long after the use of fermented meat as seas onings. Discovery of fermented soy beans from the ancient tomb may be one of the evidence used to show that fermented bean products were alr eady used in 200 B.C. in China. A fish sauce, garum was used in ancien t Pome (200 B.C.) to impart the umami taste. In the 15th century, ferm ented fish sauce was used for daily dishes in Southeast Asia. This lon g tradition continues today in Southeast Asian countries. Much free gl utamate is produced from fish protein during fermentation. People add umami taste and rich flavor to their dishes by using fermented product s as seasonings. Fermented fish products in Southeast Asia are still f amiliar to the people in this area and are indispensable materials for their dishes. Fermented bean products and concentrated extracts are a lso traditional seasoning used in different recipes in many countries. A presence of umami taste in various types of traditional seasonings is presented.