If you regularly eat Japanese cuisine, you may have heard this phrase, umami, in the past. It is a term that is commonly used to describe a delicious and savory sensation, such as biting into a juicy burger or taking a sip of piping hot meat broth.

Osaka Las Vegas el pollo loco sushi roll on a plate

Umami is rich in fish, meat, and soy sauce. Sushi is a natural source of umami-packed nutrients. (El Pollo Roll)

Is Umami just a word to describe something delicious?

Umami is more than just an adjective for delicious food, it is actually a food taste we can distinctively detect.

This is significant because, for many years, food taste was broken down into four categories: sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness. Everything we eat is either one or a combination of these food tastes.

Chemist Kikunae Ikeda discovered the fifth taste sensation, umami.

It wasn’t until the early 1900s when Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda discovered a fifth food taste, and coined it umami, after the Japanese term for delicious (Umai).

Umami sensation is triggered when the tongue detects a chemical compound called glutamate. You may be familiar with monosodium glutamates or MSG. Since the discovery, many restaurants choose to use MSG to trigger an umami sensation.

What type of food contains Umami?

Well, sushi and Japanese cuisine, in general, tend to be packed with umami-rich sources such as fish, broth, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms…Even soy sauce! You’ll be pleased to know that because Osaka’s menu items offer natural glutamates from foods without the need for MSG.

Osaka Japanese Bistro teppanyaki chefs at their grill portrait of three teppan expert chefs

Osaka chefs explain the sensation of umami.

The savory taste that you recognize and love from Osaka’s food are thanks to its abundance in umami and other delicious ingredients.

“Umami offers a distinct food taste,” Green Valley sushi chef says. “We are mindful of it and try to incorporate umami into our dishes.”

Does Osaka Japanese Bistro offer Umami-rich selections?

Choose from the following if you are looking for a delectable umami meal:

fresh sliced aji sashimi presented by Osaka Japanese Bistro

Fish is naturally packed with umami.

Sushi – Any nigiri or roll (with Soy Sauce for added umami)

Nabeyaki Udon

Miso Soup

Seaweed Salad

Green Tea

See Our Online Menu

These are some of the available options at Osaka where you can dine a highly nutritious and umami-filled experience. See all of Osaka Japanese Bistro’s umami-rich dishes on our online menu.