Many kinds of meat become more tender when matured, and the enzymes contained within the meat break down its proteins to increase the levels of umami-imparting amino acids. Meats such as beef and pork should ideally be hung for around 20 and 10 days respectively to mature, as this increases flavour and renders them more delicious. There are other important meats such as lamb, however, where freshness is valued over tenderness. Processed beef and pork products such as beef jerky and cured ham have higher levels of glutamate than these meats do in their natural state. (Please refer to the more detailed explanations of beef, pork and chicken below)
Beef
It was in 1847 that the German professor Justus Freiherr von Liebig discovered inosinate in juices extracted from beef. Subsequently, the Japanese Shintaro Kodama made the further discovery that inosinate contained the umami taste. There are many examples all over the world of simmered beef dishes, all of which combine the meat with umami from other ingredients. In French cuisine, for example, fond de veau, which is made from calf meat, is used as a stock. In addition beef jerky, which is produced from beef, has higher levels of glutamate by virtue of being matured. One of the most popular foods around the world, the cheeseburger, is a prime example of combining umami substances, as the inosinate of the beef and glutamate in the cheese provide a delicious synergistic effect.
Levels of naturally occurring inosinate (mg/100g) :
80
Levels of naturally occurring glutamate (mg/100g) :
China accounts for over half of the world's pork consumption, and pork features in many famous Chinese dishes including sweet and sour pork, hui guo rou (twice cooked pork), simmered diced pork and jinhua huotui (cured ham). Pork fillet is particularly high in glutamate. Broth made from pork bones is a quintessential umami rich soup. Moreover, cured ham, which is made from pork, is one of the main umami rich ingredients in the West, alongside Parmesan cheese and tomatoes. Each country has its own traditional cured pork speciality, including Spanish chorizo, Italian pepperoni, Polish kielbasa and German frankfurters.
Pork
Levels of naturally occurring inosinate (mg/100g) :
122
Levels of naturally occurring glutamate (mg/100g) :
2.5
Pork Fillet
Levels of naturally occurring glutamate (mg/100g) :
40
Cured Ham
Levels of naturally occurring glutamate (mg/100g) :
Besides chicken, other birds such as duck, pigeon and turkey are eaten is different parts of the world. In all cases, the flesh generally has a more subtle taste than beef or pork. Given the lower levels of fat, they are also popular as a diet food. The breast meat and the white meat of chicken is mild and is suitable for being steamed or served with a sauce, while the thigh and wings have a more characterful flavour and can be fried or used to make stock. The famed bird's nest soup of Chinese cuisine is a prime example of an umami rich broth that uses chicken.
Levels of naturally occurring inosinate (mg/100g) :
76
Levels of naturally occurring glutamate (mg/100g) :
1.5
Chicken bones
Levels of naturally occurring glutamate (mg/100g) :
