Add a "fifth taste": how to make soup, stew or rice much more appetizing - 2 teaspoons are enough

27.09.2024 19:10

It is widely believed that there are only four basic tastes: bitter, sour, sweet, salty.

In fact, there is a fifth taste. It has its own name - "umami".

The following adjectives are commonly used to describe this taste: meaty, protein, pleasant.

It is worth emphasizing that it is umami that allows many standard dishes to be transformed into real culinary masterpieces.

But what kind of additive should be used to give the food a pleasant aroma?

stew
Photo: © Belnovosti

This question was answered by the expert of the online publication Belnovosti in the field of cooking, chef, fourth-class baker Yulia Arkhipova.

What to add to soup, stew or rice to improve the taste

The source of that very “fifth taste” is soy sauce.

Feel free to use this additive when making soup. Two teaspoons of the above-mentioned black liquid will be enough for a whole pot.

A similar rule can be followed when making a stew.

Feel like the flavors of your meat and vegetable pieces aren't coming through well? Just add a little soy sauce!

A similar additive will also improve rice porridge. Thanks to the “fifth taste,” a standard side dish will turn into a real treat.

Author: Kurchev Anton Deputy Editor-in-Chief
 
Expert: Julia Arkhipova Expert / Belnovosti