Savoury sensations

If you have ever wondered about the savoury fifth taste known as umami, which was scientifically identified and named by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908, this salad is umami in a bowl. Meaning “pleasant savoury taste”, umami joins the more “traditional” taste profiles of sweet, bitter, sour and salty.

Although it has come to prominence fairly recently, the umami taste has been known since at least the Ancient Roman