where did the word umami come from
Umami (pronounced oo-MAH-mee) has been called the fifth taste, joining the traditional quartet of salty, sweet, bitter and sour. The word umami derives from the Japanese umai, which roughly translates as deliciousness [source: Umami Information Center]. Chefs have described it as everything from delicate and subtle to earthy, musty and mushroom-like [source: Ninomiya].