Greens Are Good

I guess regular readers should know by now that I like greens. I’ve written about gai lan, choi sum, bok choi, collards, kale and pea shoots. What else can I possibly have to say on the subject? I mean, we all know that the green leafies are good for us, supplying large amounts of folate, […]

All the Greens that Grow: Umami in Vegetables

Just when you thought I was finished with the umami, here comes a little bit more, this time, about umami in vegetables. We’ve already discussed umami in tomatoes, corn, mushrooms and fermented cabbage dishes such as kimchee and saurkraut. (Actually, when I wrote about umami in the West, I forgot to mention saurkraut–another lactobacillus fermented […]

Umami: The Meat of the Matter

When discussing umami, I have consistently described it as “savory,” “satisfying,” and “meaty.” What is more “meaty,” than meat? It is true that meat and poultry have a great deal of potential umami locked within them. Since umami is nothing but the flavor of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins and muscle […]

Umami In The West

After the long series of posts where I outlined the prevalance of umami ingredients in use in Asia, this singular post on umami ingredients from Europe and the Americas will seem rather paltry by comparison. The fact is, however, when it comes to Western methods of using the umami flavor, cooks traditionally have reached for […]

Morganna’s Recipe: Umami Chicken, Mushrooms and Gai Lan

Just after I started this series of posts on the topic of “the fifth taste,” Morganna came up to me and said, “Mom, can I make dinner tonight? I had an idea for a recipe.” “What do you want to make?” I asked. “I want to stir fry chicken with fermented black beans, black mushrooms, […]

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