Comments on: Umami : The Power of Fermentation and Fungus http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/01/06/umami-the-power-of-fermentation-and-fungus/ Cook Local, Eat Global Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:26:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Barbara http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/01/06/umami-the-power-of-fermentation-and-fungus/#comment-2087 Barbara Wed, 01 Feb 2006 03:01:38 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/?p=348#comment-2087 I am not surprised that Marmite can be used that way–as I recall, vegetarian folks use nutritional yeast to add flavor to various dishes.

In fact, the umami thing is most certainly the explanation behind the vegan propensity for using miso in all sorts of recipes that have nothing to do with Japanese cuisine. When I was younger, I eschewed such practices, but when I started cooking for vegans as a living, I unbent a good bit and realized that miso added a lot of flavor that would otherwise go missing in vegan foods.

]]> By: Scott http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/01/06/umami-the-power-of-fermentation-and-fungus/#comment-2071 Scott Mon, 30 Jan 2006 04:13:25 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/?p=348#comment-2071 The Marmite FAQ says, “A teaspoon of Marmite can also be added to soups, casseroles, and almost any savory food for a wonderful, rich flavoring.” (I have also heard terms like “savory meatiness” used, a pretty good sign of umami.) Vegemite could be used the same way, but it seems to be easier to acquire Marmite than Vegemite in the US (certainly the case here in West Michigan).

_Wild Fermentation_ has a recipe for wine dregs soup, which would work along similar lines. The spent yeast from my wine/ale fermenters upsets my stomach, though, so I don’t see myself enriching soup stock with it anytime soon.

]]> By: Barbara http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/01/06/umami-the-power-of-fermentation-and-fungus/#comment-2031 Barbara Thu, 26 Jan 2006 23:58:00 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/?p=348#comment-2031 You are absolutely right, Scott–I missed those! Probably because I haven’t a lot of experience with them–but I should have mentioned them.

I know that they tend to be used on toast–are they ever used as ingredients in cooking, I wonder?

Thank you for pointing that out to me.

]]> By: Scott http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/01/06/umami-the-power-of-fermentation-and-fungus/#comment-2026 Scott Thu, 26 Jan 2006 20:53:21 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/?p=348#comment-2026 Two more yeast-derived products which are probably bursting with umami (and certainly rich in B-vitamins) are Vegemite and Marmite. They are both derived from the yeast that settles to the bottom of beer brewing vats. (Vegemite is Australian and Marmite is British. I have only tried the former, so I can’t describe any other differences.)

]]> By: Barbara http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/01/06/umami-the-power-of-fermentation-and-fungus/#comment-1868 Barbara Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:10:21 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/?p=348#comment-1868 I forgot red vinegar! Thank you for mentioning it, Shirley–there really are so many such ingredients in Asian foods that it is hard to keep track of them all. Ginger and sesame oil together is a magic combination, though, isn’t it?

Wonderful fragrance and flavor.

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