Umami

Some people still think that Umami, the fifth taste, is like the Loch Ness Monster or fairies at the bottom of your garden... something nice to believe in, but ultimately a fantasy.

How wrong can you be... Umami is the savoury taste that sits alongside sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It's the flavour of Parmesan, cooked tomato and, rather gruesomely, caramelised blood and meat juices. (That's why a steak or a perfectly cooked medium rare burger tastes so very good...)

It's real, it exists, and it will give a savoury punch to any stew, casserole and even gravy. Cumin and Star Anise both have high levels of Umami which is why I tend to use both a lot in meat cookery, so do cooked mushrooms, caramelised onions, anchovy, Worcester sauce and, of course, Soy sauce... the stuff is everywhere.

And now someone has bottled the stuff... or more accurately... put it in a tube. Worth a try... I've used it and it's one of those handy stand buys to have in your fridge to give any brown sauce, stew or casserole a bit of a kick. Taste No 5: Umami Paste can be found here... http://www.laurasanttini.com/home.html and it's also available in Waitrose.