Some have already described it as the fifth taste after sweet, salty, bitter e sour. It comes directly from Japan the 'kokumi', that (non) flavour which is actually not an adjective, but a noun. In the East, in fact, this term is used to indicate all those substances that have no real taste, but which actually serve to enhance the flavour of other foods. While there is still some debate about theumamithe glutamate monosodium, on the other hand the kokumi is already making waves overseas in the United States.
Healthy and completely fat-free
It is reportedly a taste enhancer that is difficult to explain, but whose effect can only be noticed by tasting the dishes in which it is used. Its capacity, as reported by tgtourism.tvis to make all other flavours linger. It is also a much healthier food than other products (e.g. butter), with the same task of adding flavour, but with a very high fat content.
The kokumion the contrary, it is completely fat-free and can add character to salt-free and very light dishes. It is now considered the main flavour in Japanese cuisines, the same ones that are much loved in the West, which is why this not taste is destined to carve out an important space for itself outside Japan as well.
It is used so much in its country of origin that soups like the ramen have acquired a different, more intense taste. This is also thanks to the glutathione, perhaps the main substance contained in all those foods that give the now famous feeling of the kokumi.
According to a study conducted by Yuzuro Etofor the Ajinomoto Life Sciences Institute (a private company), this is the physiological mechanism through which the function of the kokumiIt appears that glutathione binds to the calcium receptors on our palate, the same receptors that are considered essential for perceiving the different flavours that are transmitted by food.
The Kokumi for more international cuisine
The details of the study, which appeared in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, would show that a thorough understanding of the effects of the kokumi could help Japanese cuisine and, in any case, cuisine around the world to produce dishes with less salt, less fat and less sugar. These are the same studies aimed at the prevention of cardiovascular diseases through diet, which show a certain correlation between bitter-tasting foods and this kind of disease: those who can hardly tolerate a bitter taste tend to eat more fat.
Apparently, the trend of kokumi is continuously growing. It has already entered the cuisine of 20% of Americans, while 66% of Western consumers continue to be increasingly attracted to Middle Eastern menus. Italians, too, are gradually changing their tastes, while still maintaining the traditional basis of Italian cuisine: new trends are moving towards a greater appreciation of African spices and Oriental dishes, perhaps even based on kokumi.
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