A Taste for Hotter, Mintier, Fruitier The Increasaed Craving for Intense Flavors Suggests That the American Palate is Changing'

Such a fascinating read about Middle America. Highlights what and how major food companies -- mostly of packaged foods, are doing to fit consumer needs.

The section about umami added in these prepackaged foods was, well, interesting. It is nauseating how manufacturers preverse the definition of umami and what it is about. My thoughts on umami are here.

Not sure how I feel about this.

I am sorry (well not really) but umami* in paste form -- in a tube -- is ridiculous; borderline culinary blasphemy. I call marketing gimmick and the 'inventor' of this paste...err purée, food writer Laura Santtini, unknowingly states it in the interview when she says:

"Every food culture has its umami-rich ingredients, whether it is seaweed in Japan or Parmesan in Italy."

So um, if every culture has its umami-rich ingredients, why do we need umami in a tube???

At any rate, this tube thing goes against every culinary fundamental and defeats the purpose of umami. The main component of umami rich dishes is kodawari; the time, care, precision, and thought put into something. Kodawari, when talking about food, would be the dishes and the prep that goes into each dish, respectively.

To take it a step further, most dishes that highlight umami uses ingredients thought to bring out the fifth taste, such as: parmesan cheese sprinkled atop soups and stews. Seaweed (or kombu, as we say in Japanese) for brine, roux, or broth. Gary Danko powders dried mushrooms to dust on his marinated lamb before cooking. Wine, soy sauce, Worchestershire are used to add flavors to sauces...so on and so forth, I can keep going on -- needless to say, I am definitely not a fan. Frankly, if you need this additive thing in order to experience umami, your palate needs refinement.

Save your money and buy a cookbook instead.

*learn more about umami here.