It’s been a mystery for centuries, but scientists have recently uncovered the secret of the sixth basic flavor. This flavor is called umami, and it is found in many of our favorite foods, like soy sauce, miso, Parmesan cheese, and tomatoes. Umami has a savory, rich taste that is different from the other five tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy. Scientists have found that our taste buds can detect umami by sensing the presence of a compound called glutamate. Glutamate is found naturally in many foods, and it is also used as a food additive to enhance flavor and texture. So now, instead of the five basic tastes, we can recognize six basic flavors!

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source: Phys.org