Synthesized in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda, this flavor-enhancing compound led to the naming of a new flavor quality that was named “umami”, the Japanese word for “tasty”.
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Kikunae Ikeda from the Tokyo Imperial University isolated glutamic acid as a new taste substance in 1908 from the seaweed Laminaria japonica, kombu, by aqueous extraction and crystallization, and named its taste "umami".