Umami, Cita Rasa Ke 5 yang Tak Sekedar Lezat

Photo : detikFood
http://food.detik.com/read/2013/01/14/133025/2141417/297/umami-cita-rasa-ke-5-yang-tak-sekedar-lezat

Flora Febrianindya - detikFood

Jakarta - Sejalan dengan berkembangnya industri kuliner tanah air, istilah yang dikenalpun makin banyak dan kaya. Apalagi beberapa ikon kuliner juga mulai menciptakan jargon khas. Salah satunya istilah 'umami' yang ternyata sudah dikenal di Jepang sejak seabad silam.

Seperti halnya delicious dan lekker,umami juga sering digunakan sebagai gambaran kelezatan masakan. Umami bisa diartikan sebagai cita rasa ke 5 setelah manis, asin, asam dan pahit yang terasa di lidah sebagai reseptor rasa. Umami sendiri memiliki arti ‘gurih’. Kata ini sudah ditemukan lebih dari 100 tahun yang lalu di Jepang, dan diambil dari kata umai (lezat) dan mi (rasa).

Umami dihasilkan oleh kandungan asam amino glutamat dan jugaribonucleotides, termasuk inosinate dan guanylate yang tercecap di lidah. Cita rasa ini juga menjadi perhatian Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, seorang ahli kimia dariTokyo Imperial University. Di tahun 1908, ia berhasil membuat ekstrak glutamat dari bahan kombu atau rumput laut.

Di negara asalnya, umami identik dengan bahan kombu dashi atau kaldu Jepang berbahan dasar rumput laut yang dikeringkan. Hasil laut ini diolah menjadi pelengkap masakan, dan menciptakan cita rasa umami. Karenanya, umami bukanlah sebuah merk, namun rasa di indera pencecap yang terjejak karena makanan yang dinikmati.

“Kata-kata umami bukanlah brand. Kata umami adalah umum, siapapun bisa pakai. Siapapun bisa mendapatkan rasa gurih atau umami, tak hanya orang Jepang. Nah, bumbu penyedap masakan adalah salah satu sumber penghasil rasa umami,” kata Taro Komura, Presiden Direktur PT Ajinomoto Sales Indonesia.

Rasa umami tak hanya dihasilkan dari rumput laut saja. Aneka bahan lokal juga bisa dimanfaatkan untuk mendapatkan rasa umami yang maksimal. Dari mulai aneka ragam sayuran, daging ayam, sapi, seafood, ikan, jamur dan lainnya. Rasa umami bisa dihasilkan dari kreativitas dalam meracik makanan dengan berbagai komposisi.

Bahkan chef Kimio Nonaga, Brand Ambassador Ajinomoto yang juga pemenang Iron Chef 2002, menggunakan bahan lokal dari Indonesia untuk menciptakan rasa umami. Ia memakai 3 bahan, yaitu tempe, kangkung dan juga daging ayam sebagai sumber rasa umami pada masakan.

Seperti dituturkan Komura, pihaknya selaku produsen bumbu masak ternama sangat mengunggulkan cita rasa umami. “Ajinomoto adalah salah satu sumber umami. Karenanya, Ajinomoto bisa disebut sebagaiumami seasoning karena istilah umami pertama kali dikomersilkan dalam bentuk bumbu Ajinomoto,” tutup pria asal Jepang yang fasih berbahasa Indonesia ini.

(odi/flo)

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There are several ways Go Foods offers products to customers and ways people can take advantage of the system intact. You can customize your orders by choosing specific meals or choose from different GoPacks options that are out there built for specific diets or quantity needs. 

Food is something that everyone needs and wants. When jumping on board with Go Foods, you get delicious, nutritious meals while saving money on the bill monthly.

By: copitek.

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