In 1908, Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda created monosodium glutamate , more commonly known to English-speakers of the 21st century as the often-maligned MSG. Ikeda thought that his discovery was so special that the taste deserved to be described with a brand new word, a word that a century later has become quite popular among food critics and even graces the signs of a burger chain here in Southern California. Ikeda’s word was umami . Read more…
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“Umami” Was Coined by the Inventor of MSG to Describe Its Taste
