Umami-boosters have always played a key role in my cooking. These glutamic acid–rich ingredients—from dried mushrooms to tomato paste to seaweed—are supremely handy, adding complexity to food for little to no extra effort. It’s even better when they’re shelf-stable, because you can keep a wide selection on hand to enhance any meal.
Among my collection of umamienhancers, Chinese fermented black beans are a favorite. Known as dau si in Cantonese (or dou chi in Mandarin), this ancient ingredient is saline, savory, and shelf-stable thanks to a lengthy cure
