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Is Kimchi Umami?

 
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Goku



Joined: 10 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:13 pm    Post subject: Is Kimchi Umami? Reply with quote

I'm doing a lesson on Tastes and I need to know if Kimchi is considered Umami.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami

I know the description says fermented foods generaly have an Umami taste but it does not specifiy Kimchi and it seems Umami has more of an MSG taste.
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yellow111



Joined: 30 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ha. No, Kimchi is not umami. Umami is more of a savory taste, like mushrooms or cheese.
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Goku



Joined: 10 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yellow111 wrote:
Ha. No, Kimchi is not umami. Umami is more of a savory taste, like mushrooms or cheese.


Thanks, would all cheese or mushrooms be considered like Umami?

Or is it split?
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Hyeon Een



Joined: 24 Jun 2005

PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kimchi's main tastes are saltiness and sourness. I think sometimes umami might be a part of it depending on the kind of kimchi, for example bossam kimchi has a bit of 'richness' to it that might be umami. I think kimchi would be a terrible example of a food to use as an example of umami though.

Doenjang would be an example of a Korean fermented food with a stronger umami taste.
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Goku



Joined: 10 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hyeon Een wrote:
Kimchi's main tastes are saltiness and sourness. I think sometimes umami might be a part of it depending on the kind of kimchi, for example bossam kimchi has a bit of 'richness' to it that might be umami. I think kimchi would be a terrible example of a food to use as an example of umami though.

Doenjang would be an example of a Korean fermented food with a stronger umami taste.


Doenjang is that soy bean sauce that goes with sam gyup sal?

If so, I'll use that for my example tthanks :>
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Hyeon Een



Joined: 24 Jun 2005

PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Goku wrote:
Hyeon Een wrote:
Kimchi's main tastes are saltiness and sourness. I think sometimes umami might be a part of it depending on the kind of kimchi, for example bossam kimchi has a bit of 'richness' to it that might be umami. I think kimchi would be a terrible example of a food to use as an example of umami though.

Doenjang would be an example of a Korean fermented food with a stronger umami taste.


Doenjang is that soy bean sauce that goes with sam gyup sal?

If so, I'll use that for my example tthanks :>


You're probably not going to have much luck explaining this taste. As far as I can tell there is no Korean word for it. If you explain the four basic tastes, then tell them there is a fifth one you might have a genius student who knows it. Maybe. They might know it better if you explain it as "MSG" taste or something. The Korean for MSG is 글루타민산소다. MSG was invented as a pure form of umami.

On the offchance you're teaching university food science majors there is a good chance they know it already, probably by it's English/Japanese name.
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Goku



Joined: 10 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2009 11:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

:/ I'm teaching middle school.

Yeah I think I'd have a hard time explaining Umami to any other human being so teaching it to my students would be a far stretch.

I guess i could explain it as MSG and hope 1 or 2 students get it and then move on.
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jkelly80



Joined: 13 Jun 2007
Location: you boys like mexico?

PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2009 11:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

get a bunch of tomatoes. slice them up, give them to the kids. then get a few more, put salt on the tomatoes, feed the jackals again. they should get it, at least a few.
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DJTwoTone



Joined: 11 Mar 2003
Location: Yangsan - I'm not sure where it is either

PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2009 4:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Korean word for umami is 고소하다 or 고소한 if you want the adjective form... Describe it to your students as the taste of peanut butter, sesame oil, or kim and they should get it.
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Goku



Joined: 10 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why thank you! :>
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