Restaurant in Manhattan

In response to the recent surge of interest in umami across the USA, the Umami Information Center has opened a second overseas office —this time in the US culinary capital of New York City.

Umami, one of the five basic tastes, was discovered by Professor Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University in 1908. This year marks the centenary anniversary of that discovery. Perhaps in part because it was discovered by a Japanese scientist, umami has often been thought of as a taste exclusive to Asian countries. However, it is a universal taste found in foods such as cheese and tomatoes, and has recently been the focus of research by Western scientists who specialize in the field of human senses and sensation.

Diners at Manhattan restaurant

In the light of the popularity of Japanese food around the world and the growing inclination towards health-consciousness, reputable chefs from Europe and the USA have for some years now been paying increasing attention to umami. Many of them have even begun to concentrate on incorporating umami into their own culinary repertoire. Last year, major newspapers in the USA such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune featured articles on umami — an increasingly important topic of discussion in the US food industry.

Farmers market

Until now, the Umami Information Center (UIC) has had only one branch office, which is located in London, but in order to respond to the ever-increasing level of interest in umami, the UIC opened a second branch office in New York this May. The office will focus on raising public awareness of umami, disseminating the latest information to chefs, gastronomists, culinary schools and members of the media, and responding to queries.

New York, arguably the centre of US food culture, is now shifting away from large-portioned meat-based dishes, and towards healthier and more nutritionally-balanced cuisine that includes more vegetables and fish. A recent trend has Asian cuisine — especially Japanese cuisine — enjoying more and more attention by famous chefs. This has influenced various chef recipes and increased the opportunity for discussions on what scientists have accredited as the fifth taste. Therefore, going forward, we will include US food scene updates and reports on local umami-related events on our website www.umamiinfo.com, so be sure to keep checking back!

New York office

Branch Office Information:
Umami Information Center
North American Office
c/o Matrix Advertising Associates, Inc,
375 West Broadway, 4th Floor, New York
NY 10012 USA
TEL: +1-212-334-6600 / FAX: +1-212-334-6228
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