Dashi and Umami: The Heart of Japanese Cuisine
"Umami, as part of dashi, is essential to Japanese cuisine. It is umami that maintains the balance between salty, sweet, sour and bitter; in short, you could call it the origin of 'deliciousness'. - Nobu Matsuhisa Umami is a subject close to my heart. (It) actually exists naturally in many foods familiar to Westerners... In the Fat Duck, I like to use umami-rich Japanese ingredients in more Western style preparation in order to get that umami hit. - Hester Blumenthal Umami should be thought of as a vital tool when creating recipes, incorporated into meat juice and fermented fish sauces, and in the form of cheese to give character to a dish. To 'umamise' a dish such as roast chicken, serve with a Parmesan fondue. - Pascal Barbot"