The word about umami is spreading, with the latest edition of Umami: The World coming out in German this year, to coincide with the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany.

The world’s best athletes have battled it out in the sporting arena in Beijing’s Olympic Games; in Erfurt the world’s best chefs will now do battle in the kitchen. At this event, where the latest version of Umami: The World will be handed out freely, Japan will be represented by “The Umami Team”, who will do their bit to showcase the umami taste.

With the German sauerkraut among the wide selection of foods across the globe that contain umami, German interest in the fifth taste is growing. This edition of Umami: The World makes German the sixth language the book is now available in, joining Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, French and English versions as the interest in umami continues to grow worldwide.

First published in 2004, the English edition of Umami: The World has become recognised as a compact but comprehensive authority on the fifth taste. For example, it has been cited by renowned chef Heston Blumenthal in his most recent book, ‘In Search of Perfection’.

Details of all umami publications, including our World Recipe series, can be found on our books page. If you have any queries about any of our titles, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .