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Where does the word "umami" come from? It comes from Japanese umami, and was adopted directly into English (1980s).
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Where does the word "umami" come from? It comes from Japanese umami, and was adopted directly into English (1980s).
Umami’s story begins in Japanese: umami meant “a pleasant savory taste.” Literally pleasant savory taste, coined by chemist Kikunae Ikeda. It reached English by 1980s as umami. Coined by chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908 from Japanese 'umai', delicious. Today, umami means a savory taste imparted by certain amino acids, considered a basic taste.
- Stage 1 · Japanese · 1900s umami "a pleasant savory taste", literally pleasant savory taste, coined by chemist Kikunae Ikeda.
- Stage 2 · English · 1980s umami "a savory taste sensation", coined by chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908 from Japanese 'umai', delicious.