Umami
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 One of the five basic tastes, the savory taste of foods such as seaweed, cured fish, aged cheeses and meats. uncountable
"Umami is the mysterious “fifth taste”—a flavour that has never seemed to fit into the existing categories of sweet, sour, salty and bitter. South-east Asian chefs have exploited it throughout history—it's an essential part of the taste of seaweed, among other things[…]"
Example
More examples"Umami is the mysterious “fifth taste”—a flavour that has never seemed to fit into the existing categories of sweet, sour, salty and bitter. South-east Asian chefs have exploited it throughout history—it's an essential part of the taste of seaweed, among other things[…]"
Etymology
From Japanese 旨味, うまみ (umami), from 旨い (umai, “delicious”), which describes the quality of a pleasant, savory taste.
Related phrases
More for "umami"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.