is there a word for the taste associated /w msg?

[dighn]

anyone know? i may have seen it in an issue of "discover" before but i dont remember it anymore. i tried searching online but they just say it's a "flavour enhancer" but doesn't name the distinct taste of msg.

 

[FreshPrince]

sweet

 

[yellowperil]

Unami? (sp)

 

[dighn]

wth?! it's not swet. have u tried msg powder?

 

[Orsorum]

Not tart...

 

[Crappopotamus]

yummy.... mmmmm... msg.

they have different types of msg! chicken... beef... msg is... salty. i mean what do you want?

This years beef msg is quite substantial. Fine nose. Rich, concentrated, complex, ample and spicy in a sandal wood, cigar-boxy sort of way. Opulent even. Fullish, creamy and old viney. Excellent grip. Fresh, long, classy and multi-dimensional. Closed-in but splendidly rich. Some tannin. Very good grip. This has a lot of depth, even power. Very fine.

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: yellowperil
Unami? (sp)

could be it. sounds japanese


i guess ppl in the west don't really have a concept of tastes beside salty sweet sour bitter hot

 

[Jmman]

I am just wondering why someone would taste straight MSG? 😕

 

[cavemanmoron]

some people have bad reactions, to mono sodium glutamate

look here for more info

Monosodium Glutamate is often used as a controversial food additive. Technically it is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, a naturally occuring amino acid which is produced in small quantities by the human body.

The taste of MSG, known as Umami is distinct from the usual sensations of sweet,sour, salty and bitter.

Glutamate occurs naturally in many foods, and is made commercially by fermenting starchy vegetables

 

[yellowperil]

I remember from a neurobio class that the Japanese associate a 5th taste in addition to sweet/sour/bitter/salty. In fact there was some evidence of unami receptors (basically a taste for 'meaty' or something), I think that was what MSG was under

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: Jmman
I am just wondering why someone would taste straight MSG? 😕

to see wht it tastes like? 😉 i mean it's always right there int he kitchen so why not? 😛



anyway thanks for the answers ppl. so i guess unami is the word.


its definitely a distinct taste besides the usual 5 tastes. if you steam sea food you'll see it tastes like a lot of msg . same with chicken actually any meat, mushrooms etc

 

[Mark R]

It's Umami.

It has two ems, everything else said earlier is basically right though.

There is in fact strong evidence for umami being a seperate sensation to the conventional four basic tastes. There is now clear evidence for a umami receptor, the major work being published in early 2000.

 

[TheBDB]

Savory

 

[LeeTJ]

to me it's rich or buttery tasting.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: LeeTJ
to me it's rich or buttery tasting.

As posted earlier its official name/descriptor is Umami.

 

[Howard]

Chinese