umami

Summary

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day — "Umami" (June 29, 2026)

Main Theme

This episode explores the word "umami"—its definition, taste characteristics, origin, and presence in culinary traditions. The episode, hosted by lexicographer Peter Sokolowski, aims to enrich listeners’ vocabularies and deepen their understanding of this savory taste sensation considered the “fifth basic taste.”

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Definition of "Umami"

• [00:40]
  • Spelling: “U-M-A-M-I”
  • Part of speech: Noun
  • Definition: “Umami refers to the taste sensation that is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides and that has a rich or meaty flavor characteristic of cheese, cooked meat, mushrooms, soy, and ripe tomatoes.”

2. Example in Use

• [00:56]
  • Sentence from Will This Make You Happy? Stories and Recipes from A Year of Baking by Tanya Bush:

    “This recipe uses a classic marble cake technique to swirl rich layers of cinnamon into a fluffy olive oil scented loaf cake. It's topped with a malted milk glaze for a punch of umami, but you can skip it entirely or substitute a simple vanilla glaze.”

3. Historical & Scientific Context

• [01:20]
  • Discovery:
    • Japanese scientist Kikune Ikeda is credited with identifying “umami” as a distinct taste.
    • Noticed the savory flavor while analyzing soup stocks made from seaweed.
  • Classification:
    • Umami is recognized as the fifth basic taste, alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.
    • The word “umami” literally means “savoriness” in Japanese.

4. Culinary Examples & MSG

• [01:44]
  • Foods rich in umami:
    • Mushrooms, anchovies, mature cheeses, as well as foods enhanced with MSG (monosodium glutamate), a sodium salt derived from glutamic acid.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the evolving tastes in food science:

  “This fifth basic taste alongside sweet, sour, salty and bitter was named umami, meaning savoriness in Japanese.”
  — Peter Sokolowski (01:34)

• On the scientific process:

  “Japanese scientist Kikune Ikeda is credited with identifying as a distinct taste the savory flavor of the amino acid glutamic acid, which he first noticed in soup stocks made with seaweed.”
  — Peter Sokolowski (01:20)

---

Important Timestamps

• [00:40] — Introduction & definition of “umami”
• [00:56] — Example sentence highlighting the word in food writing
• [01:20] — Historical credit to Kikune Ikeda and explanation of umami as “fifth basic taste”
• [01:44] — Foods featuring umami and mention of MSG

---

Conclusion

This episode offers a concise yet rich look at “umami”—its linguistic roots, scientific discovery, and everyday usage in food culture. Listeners walk away with a fuller appreciation for “the savory taste” that has shaped cuisines worldwide.

“With your word of the day, I’m Peter Sokolowski.”
— Peter Sokolowski (02:08)

---

For more definitions, wordplay, and trending words, visit merriamwebster.com.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. It's the word of the day for June 29th

[B]

when it's time to scale your business. It's time for Shopify. Get everything you need to grow the way you want. Like all the way. Stack more sales with the best converting checkout on the planet. Track your cha chings from every channel right in one spot and turn real time reporting into big time opportunities. Take your business to a whole new level. Switch to Shopify. Start your free trial today.

[A]

Today's word is umami, spelled U M a M I. Umami is a noun. It refers to the taste sensation that is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides and that has a rich or meaty flavor characteristic of cheese, cooked meat, mushrooms, soy and ripe tomatoes. Here's the word used in a sentence from Will this make you happy? Stories and Recipes from A Year of Baking by Tanya Bush this recipe uses a classic marble cake technique to swirl rich layers of cinnamon into a fluffy olive oil scented loaf cake. It's topped with a malted milk glaze for a punch of umami, but you can skip it entirely or substitute a simple vanilla glaze. Japanese scientist Kikune Ikeda is credited with identifying as a distinct taste the savory flavor of the amino acid glutamic acid, which he first noticed in soup stocks made with seaweed. This fifth basic taste alongside sweet, sour, salty and bitter was named umami, meaning savoriness in Japanese. Umami can be experienced in foods such as mushrooms, anchovies and mature cheeses, as well as in foods enhanced with monosodium glutamate or msg, a sodium salt derived from glutamic acid. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.

[C]

Visit merriamwebster.com today for definitions, wordplay and trending word lookups.