TASTE PERCEPTION OF UMAMI-RICH DISHES IN ITALIAN CULINARY TRADITION

The aim of this research project was to investigate umami taste properties of recipes based on Italian culinary tradition and prepared with umami-rich ingredients, focusing on the impact of the preparation and ingredient combination. Gustative profiles were prepared for a traditional Italian dish, tender beef bouillon, usually consumed with pasta stuffed with beef. Four different samples were designed by changing the ingredients (with or without integrating Parmigiano cheese) and the preparation (cooking time) of the recipe. Panelists were rigorously trained for umami taste evaluation using monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) aqueous solutions and were then asked to evaluate umami sensation in tender beef bouillon with or without added Parmigiano Reggiano . A majority of the panelists were able to distinguish correctly umami sensations induced by MSG. The level of umami enhancement induced by Parmigiano Reggiano was clearly perceived by the panelists, and this enhancement positively affected also other basic tastes; whereas the cooking time had no clear effect on the gustative perception.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

In western countries, people do not know much about umami. This taste is defined as the "savoriness" of the glutamate. Umami-taste substances are present in several foods, but whereas the taste of monosodium glutamate and 5' nucleotides can be without difficulty identified in water solutions, which are usually employed for panel training, the ability to identify this primary taste decreases enormously in more complex matrices like food. This study describes a procedure for screening and training sensory panels and could serve as a guide in teaching panelists to recognize and quantify the umami taste in a multistimuli matrix like a food recipe or product.
It also provides a practical application in a recipe in which the umami taste is modulated by the culinary preparation and ingredients.