FoodCookingThe Unexpected Ingredients That Make Literally Everything BetterBy Emma Glassman-HughesUpdated on Sep 15, 2025 at 4:35 PMGetty | lacaosaGetty | lacaosaUmami is ineffable. Technically, it's the fifth category of taste, next to sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Also technically, umami-rich foods have high amounts of the amino acid glutamate, often giving them a brothy or meaty quality. But spiritually, umami defies categorization. For those of us who aren't trained chefs or culinary scientists, it's hard to pinpoint, much less explain.