BULETIN27 September 2017 vol.2

vol .2①27 September 2017

Benarkah MSG SamaDengan Rasa Umami/Gurih?!

Kebenaran yang MenakjubkanMungkin sulit untuk dipercaya bahwa sebenarnya rasa umami dan MSG tidak jauh berbeda sebagaimana anggapan sebagian besar orang-orang. Anda bisa jadi berpikiran jauh dengan menganggap bahwa keduanya diciptakan terpisah.

Untuk melacak sejarah hubungan antara rasa umami dan MSG, tampaknya kita harus menengok ke belakang. Kala itu di tahun 1907, dan kita tengah menikmati makan malam bersama Profesor Kikunae Ikeda dan keluarganya1. Saat tengah berbincang-bincang, Profesor mencicipi kaldu sup dashi yang dimasak oleh istrinya yang disajikan bersama tahu rebus, dan ia pun bertanya bagaimana ia dapat memasaknya dengan rasa yang begitu lezat. Sang istri menjawab bahwa ia menggunakan kombu, yakni rumput laut kering yang ia gunakan untuk membuat sup. Anehnya, hal ini membuat Profesor teringat akan cita rasa makanan tertentu saat ia tengah belajardi Jerman beberapa tahun sebelumnya.

Dan pembicaraan yang tidak disengaja antara suami istri ini telah mengubah jalan hidup Profesor Ikeda, atau bisa dikatakan mengubah perjalanan sejarah.

Umami/Gurih. “Rasa dasar ke-5” Misteri kelezatan dari rasa keju parmesan yang sudah tersimpan lama, tidak asin, tidak manis, tidak asam, dan tentu saja tidak pahit. Itulah rasa umami, atau biasa dikenal dengan sebutan gurih.

Tidak bisa dipungkiri lagi bahwa dunia kuliner tengah mengalami “lonjakan rasa umami/gurih”. Kata initerpampang di banyak tempat di kota-kota besar.Sejumlah restoran papan atas memiliki menu khusus yang dirancang untuk menghadirkan pengalaman umami yang menggoda, yang disebut “bom umami.” Tren ini juga menerjang restoran cepat saji, yang menyajikan menu seperti “burger umami” dan bahkan “pizza umami.” Beberapa restoran bahkan menggunakan nama dengan kata “gurih” atau “umami”.

Pada dasarnya, umami adalah tren. Bahkan umami telah dinobatkan sebagai “kata kunci kuliner abad ke-21.” Artinya, ketika orang melihat kata “umami,” maka otak dan perut mereka akan berkata, “Ya.”

Bandingkan hal ini dengan MSG. Selama bertahun-tahun bahkan puluhan tahun, MSG telah dicela oleh industri kuliner dan penyokongnya. Sementara itu pada tahun 1980an dan 1990an tidak mudah menemukan restoran Cina yang tidak memiliki tulisan “Tanpa MSG” di jendelanya- dan sebenarnya kebanyakan dari restoran ini menyediakan MSG di meja makan.

Pada dasarnya, MSG telah dipandang sebagai “penjahat” selama bertahun-tahun. Artinya, ketika orang melihat kata “MSG” di mana saja, maka otak dan perut mereka akan berkata, “Tidak.”

Mengapa, ia bertanya-tanya, kombu memberikan cita rasa unik pada kaldu supnya? Pertanyaan itu terus terngiang selama bertahun-tahun.

27 September 2017

Mungkin sulit untuk dipercaya bahwa sebenarnya rasa umami dan MSG tidak jauh berbeda sebagaimana anggapan sebagian besar orang-orang. Anda bisa jadi berpikiran jauh dengan menganggap bahwa keduanya diciptakan terpisah.

Untuk melacak sejarah hubungan antara rasa umami dan MSG, tampaknya kita harus menengok ke belakang. Kala itu di tahun 1907, dan kita tengah menikmati makan malam bersama Profesor Kikunae Ikeda dan keluarganya1. Saat tengah berbincang-bincang, Profesor mencicipi kaldu sup dashi yang dimasak oleh istrinya yang disajikan bersama tahu rebus, dan ia pun bertanya bagaimana ia dapat memasaknya dengan rasa yang begitu lezat. Sang istri menjawab bahwa ia menggunakan kombu, yakni rumput laut kering yang ia gunakan untuk membuat sup. Anehnya, hal ini membuat Profesor teringat akan cita rasa makanan tertentu saat ia tengah belajardi Jerman beberapa tahun sebelumnya.

Dan pembicaraan yang tidak disengaja antara suami istri ini telah mengubah jalan hidup Profesor Ikeda, atau bisa dikatakan mengubah perjalanan sejarah.

Rahasia KombuProfesor Ikeda mungkin memang orang yang menemukan rasa gurih, tetapi ia bukanlah satu-satunya di dunia ini yang berusaha menguraikan misteri dalam rasa kaldu sup. Pada era yang sama, tetapi di belahan bumi lainnya, seorang perintis dalam industri makanan bernama Julius Maggi bekerja keras untuk mengembangkan sup instan cepat saji. Upaya Maggi pada akhirnya membuahkan hasil berupa potongan dadu kaldu yang terbuat dari protein sayuran terhidrolisis dan hidrolisat itulah yang menghasilkan cita rasa kaldu daging.

Baik Profesor Ikeda maupun Mr. Maggi sama-sama meneliti kaldu sup untuk menentukan komponen-komponen penyusunnya. Tetapi ada satu perbedaan mendasar. Kaldu Jepang berbahan dasar kombu, sementara kaldu Eropa berbahan dasar sayuran. Kendati keduanya sama-sama mengembangkan produk dari kaldu sup, komponen asam amino dalam sup mereka sebenarnya berbeda.

■ Kaldu Sup Tradisional Jepang

30

20

10

0

Asp

Thr

Ser

Asn

Glu

Gln

Pro

Gly

Ala

Val

Cys

Met lle Leu

Tyr

Phe

Trp

Lys

His

Arg

Glutamat adalah zat

penambah cita rasa yang

dibutuhkan dalam kaldu

sup Jepang.

(mg/100 ml)

(mg/100 ml)

30

20

10

0

Asp

Thr

Ser

Asn

Glu

Gln

Pro

Gly

Ala

Val

Cys

Met lle Leu

Tyr

Phe

Trp

Lys

His

Arg

■ Kaldu Sup Tradisional Eropa*Kaldu sup terbuat dari sayuran dan ayam, Lama memasak: 5-6 jam

Campuran beragam

asam amino termasuk

glutamat.

Kombu

■ Profesor Kikunae Ikeda

Pada tahun 1908, Profesor Ikeda berhasil mengisolasikristal yang memberikan cita rasa yang telah ia deteksi1. Kristal ini terbuat dari glutamat, salah satu asam amino paling umum yang ditemukan dalam makanan dan juga tubuh manusia. Pada tahun 1909, ia berhasil menemukan cara untuk memproduksi zat ini secara besar-besaran dengan mempelajari cara menggabungkan glutamatdengan natrium, yang merupakan penyedap yang lezatdan mudah digunakan, juga mudah dicerna1. Ia berhasil menemukan monosodium glutamat. MSG.

Mengapa penting bagi Profesor Ikeda untuk memastikan bahwa penemuannya dapat diproduksi dalam skalabesar? Bagaimana pun juga, pada dasarnya ia adalah seorang kimiawan, dan bukan pebisnis. Kita dapatmenemukan jawaban yang beliau utarakan sendiri terkait dengan aspirasinya: “Untuk menciptakan penyedap yang enak dan terjangkau dan mengubah hidangan sederhana tetapi bergizi menjadi sesuatu yang semakin menggugah selera.” Singkatnya, ia menginginkan agar semuaorang dapat menikmati dan memperoleh manfaat dari temuannya.

Cara menggambarkan rasa ini menjadi satu-satunyakendala. Rasa gurih. Bahkan bisa dikatakan sedikitmemberikan rasa daging, tetapi berasal dari kombu.Ia pun memutuskan untuk memberikan nama sementara untuk rasa MSG tersebut hingga ia menemukan namayang lebih baik.

Ia menyebutnya rasa “gurih” atau “umami”.

Sumber: 2010 K. Ninomiya (edisi revisi)

Sumber: 2010 K. Ninomiya (edisi revisi)

Mengapa, ia bertanya-tanya, kombu memberikan cita rasa unik pada kaldu supnya? Pertanyaan itu terus terngiang selama bertahun-tahun.

Proses produksi MSG telah mengalami sedikit perubahan dibandingkan tahun 1908, tetapi masih tetap menarik untuk diketahui! Anda dapat melihatnya di:

Bagaimana cara pembuatan MSG?---Melalui fermentasi

Animasi Produksi AJI-NO-MOTO® (BAHASA INGGRIS)

vol .2②27 September 2017

Menurut riset ilmiah terkini, kaldu sup kombu jauh lebih praktis. Sebagian besar komposisi asam aminonyaadalah glutamat, diikuti dengan aspartat, serta asamamino lainnya dalam jumlah yang sangat sedikit. Di sisilain, kaldu sup sayuran terurai ke dalam campuran lebihdari sepuluh asam amino yang relatif seimbang.

Profesor Ikeda menginginkan agar rasa umami yang ia temukan dapat mengarah ke pengembangan sesuatuyang bermanfaat bagi kehidupan manusia. Ia mengisolasi glutamat dari campuran asam amino yang terbuat dari hidrolisat protein gandum, dan selanjutnya membangun bisnis demi mengenalkan rasa umami di wilayah Jepang dan seluruh penjuru dunia. Maggi menciptakan potongan dadu kaldu dengan menggunakan hidrolisat protein yang merupakan campuran beberapa asam amino.Perbedaan antara kedua penemuan tersebut,berdasarkan asam amino tunggal atau campuran asam amino, mencerminkan perbedaan budaya makananantara Eropa dan Jepang.

Mengapa Butuh Waktu Lama?Profesor Ikeda menemukan MSG dan memberikan nama umami untuk rasanya lebih dari seratus tahun lalu, tetapi diperlukan waktu puluhan tahun bagi komunitas ilmiah untuk memahaminya. Baru pada tahun 2000 peneliti berhasil menemukan reseptor rasa umami/gurih di lidah, sehingga menjadikannya rasa dasar kelima yang diketahui2. Tetapi sejarah rasa umami sebenarnya sudah muncul sejak awal peradaban.

Umami merupakan rasa yang penting dalam Dunia Kuno. Sebagai buktinya, kita cukup mengamati Pompeii. Saat Gunung Vesuvius meletus pada tahun 79, Pompeii adalah kota yang berkembang. Dengan lebih dari dua puluh ribu penduduk, kota ini merupakan salah satu kota terpenting di Semenanjung Italia. Kota ini dihiasi banyak vila yang elegan dan rumah untuk berlibur bagi kalangan berada dan menaungi sebuah arena hiburan berkapasitas dua puluh ribu orang. Namun demikian, seperti banyak kota wisata lainnya, kota ini tidak hanya menyajikan sarana pariwisata semata. Diperlukan industri lain untuk mendukung populasi setempat. Untuk kota Pompeii, industri yang dimaksud adalah produksi garum, yang kaya akan kandungan rasa umami/gurih.

Garum adalah bumbu utama dalam Dunia Kuno, mulai Yunani sampai Byzantium, hingga ke Arab. Bumbu ini dibuat dengan memfermentasikan isi perut ikan dalam air garam di dalam bejana tanah liat yang disebut urcei.

■ Bejana Mosaik untuk Garum dan Kota Kuno Pompeii

Hampir dua ribu tahun kemudian, kemungkinan tidak menyadari keberadaan garum, Profesor Ikeda mulai merintis analisis ilmiah terhadap rasa umami. Tetapi diperlukan waktu hampir seratus tahun hingga sains Barat memberikan perhatian pada hal ini. Mengapa?

Sebagai permulaan, manuskrip yang menjelaskan riset Profesor Ikeda ditulis dalam bahasa Jepang, dan sayangnya belum diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Inggris hingga puluhan tahun. Hal ini menyebabkan para ahli kimia barat, yang bahasa utamanya adalah bahasa Inggris, berada puluhan tahun di belakang riset dasar yang dapat memastikan temuan Profesor Ikeda.

Kedua, kendati kata “rasa” sudah biasa digunakan oleh banyak orang, dalam istilah ilmiah kata ini memiliki makna yang sangat spesifik. Orang bisa mengatakan “rasanya seperti cokelat,” tetapi ilmuwan akan berkata “cokelat bukanlah rasa, melainkan perisa.”

Coba perhatikan: jika lima rasa dasar adalah manis, asam, asin, pahit, dan umami/gurih, berarti di mana posisi rasa pedas? Pedas memang dianggap sebagai rasa, tetapi bukan termasuk dalam lima “rasa dasar.” Alasannya karena pedas tidak terdeteksi oleh reseptor rasa. Rasa pedas sebaliknya mengaktifkan sel saraf secara langsung melalui sel sensor pada lidah – sel saraf yang juga dapat mendeteksi nyeri dan suhu.

Foto oleh Dr. Curtis

Mungkin terdengar tidak menggugah selera, tetapi rata-rata orang Romawi kuno akan berkata sebaliknya.Garum tampaknya menjadi bumbu terpopuler dalam era Romawi kuno, setara dengan kecap asin di Timur Jauh (kebetulan merupakan sumber rasa umami utama lainnya). Dan Pompeii terkenal akan garum. Ratusan urcei berhasil digali dari Pompeii, dan tampaknya menjadi bisnis yang menguntungkan saat itu, dan pemasok terbesarnya, Aulus Umbricius Scaurus, memiliki rumah mewah menghadap ke laut, dilengkapi dengan kamar mandi pribadi.

vol .2③27 September 2017

According to the latest scientific research, kombu soup stock is just plain simpler. The majority of its amino acid composition is glutamate, followed by aspartate, and a very small amount of a few other amino acids. On the other hand, vegetable soup stock breaks down into a relatively balanced mixture of more than ten amino acids.

Professor Ikeda wanted his discovery of umami to lead to the development of something useful for people's lives. He isolated glutamate from an amino acids mixture based on wheat protein hydrolysate, and went on to create a business to bring its umami taste to Japan, and then to the world. Mr. Maggi developed a bouillon cube using a protein hydrolysate that was a mixture of amino acids. The difference between the two inventions, based on a single amino acid or amino acid mixtures, reflects differences in food culture between Japan and Europe.

What Took So Long?Professor Ikeda invented MSG and named its taste umami more than one hundred years ago, but it took the scientific community decades to catch on. It wasn’t until 2000 that umami taste receptors were discovered on the tongue, making it the fifth known basic taste2. But the history of umami actually stretches back to the dawn of civilization.

Umami was an important taste in the Ancient World. For proof, we need look no further than Pompeii. When Mt. Vesuvius exploded in the year 79, Pompeii was a thriving city. With more than twenty thousand residents, it was one of the most important cities on the Italian Peninsula. The city was peppered with elegant villas and vacation homes for the rich, and featured a twenty thousand-seat arena for entertainment. However, like many vacation towns, the city couldn’t survive on tourism alone. Another industry was needed to support the local populace. In the case of Pompeii, that industry was the production of garum, an extremely rich source of umami.

Garum was a staple condiment of the Ancient World, from Greece to Byzantium to Arabia. It was made by fermenting the innards of fish in brine, using terracotta jugs called urcei. This may not sound very appetizing, but your average ancient Roman would have disagreed. Garum appears to have been the most popular condiment in ancient Rome—the equivalent of soy

sauce in the Far East (incidentally, another major source of umami). And Pompeii was famous for its garum. Hundreds of urcei have been unearthed at Pompeii, and it appears to have been a lucrative business—the biggest supplier, Aulus Umbricius Scaurus, owned a luxurious house overlooking the sea, replete with a private bath suite.

Aug .30 . 2017 vol .2④

About Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (Ajinomoto Co.) is a global manufacturer of high-quality seasonings, processed foods, beverages, amino acids, pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals. For many decades Ajinomoto Co. has contributed to food culture and human health through wide-ranging application of amino acid technologies. Today, the company is becoming increasingly involved with solutions for improved food resources, human health and global sustainability. Founded in 1909 and now operating in 30 countries and regions, Ajinomoto Co. had net sales of JPY 1,091.1 billion (USD 10.07 billion) in fiscal 2016. For more about Ajinomoto Co. (TYO : 2802), visit www.ajinomoto.com. For further information or references and literature support of any information contained in this newsletter, please contact Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Global Communications Department: ajigcd_newsletter@ajinomoto.com

Almost two thousand years later, probably unaware of garum, Professor Ikeda pioneered the scientific analysis of the umami taste. But it still took Western science almost one hundred years to pay attention. Why?

For starters, the manuscript describing Professor Ikeda’s research was written, naturally enough, in Japanese, and unfortunately, it wasn’t translated into English for decades. This put Western chemists, for whom the lingua franca is English, years and years behind on the basic research that would validate Professor Ikeda’s findings.

Secondly, while the word “taste” is used colloquially by most people, in scientific terms it has a very specific meaning. People may say something “tastes like chocolate,” but a scientist would say, “chocolate isn’t a taste, it’s a flavor.”

Consider this: if the five basic tastes are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, where exactly does spiciness fit in? Well, spiciness is considered a taste—but it’s not one of the five “basic tastes.” The reason is that spiciness isn’t detected by the taste receptors. Instead, it activates nerve fibers directly through cutaneous sensation fibers on the tongue—the same fibers that detect pain and temperature.

And chocolate? According to science, it’s a flavor, because the experience of eating it also involves its aroma, its fullness, and its depth.

Taste receptors are basically information receptors3. The human body requires a variety of nutrients to remain healthy, and tastes are the basic information that helps us detect the composition of the different foods we eat. Ever crave something sweet? It’s probably your body telling you it could use a little more glucose in its blood stream. Ever crave something bitter? Probably not—and that’s because basically bitterness is a marker for poison. And if you’re craving umami, you could probably use a little protein in your diet.

ATP

Taste map of the tongue isobsolete!!

Receptor cells

Gustatory nerve

Serotonin

Taste bud

Support cell

Presynapticcell

Tight junction

Sweet Umami Bitter Salty or sour

Cutaneous sensation

Bitter

Sour Sour

Salty SaltySweet

The Subtlest TasteUmami is detected directly through the taste receptors, but it’s a lot harder for most people to identify or describe than the other four basic tastes. One reason is that the source of the umami taste isn’t as obvious. Saltiness comes from salt. Sweetness comes from sugar. And umami? Umami comes from MSG.

■ Taste Receptor Cells

■ Common Foods Sources of The Five Basic Tastes

Taste sensation

Spicy

Trigeminal nerve

Taste Common foodsTaste

substance

SucroseFructoseGlucose

Acetic acidCitric acidLactic acid

Sodiumchloride

CaffeineAlkaloids

Momordicin

GlutamateInosinateGuanylate

Sweet

Sour

Salty

Bitter

Umami

Sugar CandyHoney

Vinegar

Salt

Coffee Bitter melons Chocolate(90% cacao mass)

Lemons Limes Yogurt

Tomatoes Cheese MeatMSG

References:

1 Kikunae Ikeda (1933), “My Motivation for inventing AJI-NO-MOTO” Courtesy of Aozora Bunko.

2 Nirupa Chaudhari et al (2000), “A metabotropic glutamate receptor variant functions as a taste receptor,” Nature Neuroscience, 3:113 – 119.

3 Xiaodong Li et al (2002) : “Human receptors for sweet and umami taste,” Proc Natl Acad Sci, 99:4692–4696

According to the latest scientific research, kombu soup stock is just plain simpler. The majority of its amino acid composition is glutamate, followed by aspartate, and a very small amount of a few other amino acids. On the other hand, vegetable soup stock breaks down into a relatively balanced mixture of more than ten amino acids.

Professor Ikeda wanted his discovery of umami to lead to the development of something useful for people's lives. He isolated glutamate from an amino acids mixture based on wheat protein hydrolysate, and went on to create a business to bring its umami taste to Japan, and then to the world. Mr. Maggi developed a bouillon cube using a protein hydrolysate that was a mixture of amino acids. The difference between the two inventions, based on a single amino acid or amino acid mixtures, reflects differences in food culture between Japan and Europe.

What Took So Long?Professor Ikeda invented MSG and named its taste umami more than one hundred years ago, but it took the scientific community decades to catch on. It wasn’t until 2000 that umami taste receptors were discovered on the tongue, making it the fifth known basic taste2. But the history of umami actually stretches back to the dawn of civilization.

Umami was an important taste in the Ancient World. For proof, we need look no further than Pompeii. When Mt. Vesuvius exploded in the year 79, Pompeii was a thriving city. With more than twenty thousand residents, it was one of the most important cities on the Italian Peninsula. The city was peppered with elegant villas and vacation homes for the rich, and featured a twenty thousand-seat arena for entertainment. However, like many vacation towns, the city couldn’t survive on tourism alone. Another industry was needed to support the local populace. In the case of Pompeii, that industry was the production of garum, an extremely rich source of umami.

Garum was a staple condiment of the Ancient World, from Greece to Byzantium to Arabia. It was made by fermenting the innards of fish in brine, using terracotta jugs called urcei. This may not sound very appetizing, but your average ancient Roman would have disagreed. Garum appears to have been the most popular condiment in ancient Rome—the equivalent of soy

sauce in the Far East (incidentally, another major source of umami). And Pompeii was famous for its garum. Hundreds of urcei have been unearthed at Pompeii, and it appears to have been a lucrative business—the biggest supplier, Aulus Umbricius Scaurus, owned a luxurious house overlooking the sea, replete with a private bath suite.

Aug .30 . 2017 vol .2④

About Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (Ajinomoto Co.) is a global manufacturer of high-quality seasonings, processed foods, beverages, amino acids, pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals. For many decades Ajinomoto Co. has contributed to food culture and human health through wide-ranging application of amino acid technologies. Today, the company is becoming increasingly involved with solutions for improved food resources, human health and global sustainability. Founded in 1909 and now operating in 30 countries and regions, Ajinomoto Co. had net sales of JPY 1,091.1 billion (USD 10.07 billion) in fiscal 2016. For more about Ajinomoto Co. (TYO : 2802), visit www.ajinomoto.com. For further information or references and literature support of any information contained in this newsletter, please contact Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Global Communications Department: ajigcd_newsletter@ajinomoto.com

Almost two thousand years later, probably unaware of garum, Professor Ikeda pioneered the scientific analysis of the umami taste. But it still took Western science almost one hundred years to pay attention. Why?

For starters, the manuscript describing Professor Ikeda’s research was written, naturally enough, in Japanese, and unfortunately, it wasn’t translated into English for decades. This put Western chemists, for whom the lingua franca is English, years and years behind on the basic research that would validate Professor Ikeda’s findings.

Secondly, while the word “taste” is used colloquially by most people, in scientific terms it has a very specific meaning. People may say something “tastes like chocolate,” but a scientist would say, “chocolate isn’t a taste, it’s a flavor.”

Consider this: if the five basic tastes are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, where exactly does spiciness fit in? Well, spiciness is considered a taste—but it’s not one of the five “basic tastes.” The reason is that spiciness isn’t detected by the taste receptors. Instead, it activates nerve fibers directly through cutaneous sensation fibers on the tongue—the same fibers that detect pain and temperature.

And chocolate? According to science, it’s a flavor, because the experience of eating it also involves its aroma, its fullness, and its depth.

Taste receptors are basically information receptors3. The human body requires a variety of nutrients to remain healthy, and tastes are the basic information that helps us detect the composition of the different foods we eat. Ever crave something sweet? It’s probably your body telling you it could use a little more glucose in its blood stream. Ever crave something bitter? Probably not—and that’s because basically bitterness is a marker for poison. And if you’re craving umami, you could probably use a little protein in your diet.

ATP

Taste map of the tongue isobsolete!!

Receptor cells

Gustatory nerve

Serotonin

Taste bud

Support cell

Presynapticcell

Tight junction

Sweet Umami Bitter Salty or sour

Cutaneous sensation

Bitter

Sour Sour

Salty SaltySweet

The Subtlest TasteUmami is detected directly through the taste receptors, but it’s a lot harder for most people to identify or describe than the other four basic tastes. One reason is that the source of the umami taste isn’t as obvious. Saltiness comes from salt. Sweetness comes from sugar. And umami? Umami comes from MSG.

■ Taste Receptor Cells

■ Common Foods Sources of The Five Basic Tastes

Taste sensation

Spicy

Trigeminal nerve

Taste Common foodsTaste

substance

SucroseFructoseGlucose

Acetic acidCitric acidLactic acid

Sodiumchloride

CaffeineAlkaloids

Momordicin

GlutamateInosinateGuanylate

Sweet

Sour

Salty

Bitter

Umami

Sugar CandyHoney

Vinegar

Salt

Coffee Bitter melons Chocolate(90% cacao mass)

Lemons Limes Yogurt

Tomatoes Cheese MeatMSG

References:

1 Kikunae Ikeda (1933), “My Motivation for inventing AJI-NO-MOTO” Courtesy of Aozora Bunko.

2 Nirupa Chaudhari et al (2000), “A metabotropic glutamate receptor variant functions as a taste receptor,” Nature Neuroscience, 3:113 – 119.

3 Xiaodong Li et al (2002) : “Human receptors for sweet and umami taste,” Proc Natl Acad Sci, 99:4692–4696

According to the latest scientific research, kombu soup stock is just plain simpler. The majority of its amino acid composition is glutamate, followed by aspartate, and a very small amount of a few other amino acids. On the other hand, vegetable soup stock breaks down into a relatively balanced mixture of more than ten amino acids.

Professor Ikeda wanted his discovery of umami to lead to the development of something useful for people's lives. He isolated glutamate from an amino acids mixture based on wheat protein hydrolysate, and went on to create a business to bring its umami taste to Japan, and then to the world. Mr. Maggi developed a bouillon cube using a protein hydrolysate that was a mixture of amino acids. The difference between the two inventions, based on a single amino acid or amino acid mixtures, reflects differences in food culture between Japan and Europe.

What Took So Long?Professor Ikeda invented MSG and named its taste umami more than one hundred years ago, but it took the scientific community decades to catch on. It wasn’t until 2000 that umami taste receptors were discovered on the tongue, making it the fifth known basic taste2. But the history of umami actually stretches back to the dawn of civilization.

Umami was an important taste in the Ancient World. For proof, we need look no further than Pompeii. When Mt. Vesuvius exploded in the year 79, Pompeii was a thriving city. With more than twenty thousand residents, it was one of the most important cities on the Italian Peninsula. The city was peppered with elegant villas and vacation homes for the rich, and featured a twenty thousand-seat arena for entertainment. However, like many vacation towns, the city couldn’t survive on tourism alone. Another industry was needed to support the local populace. In the case of Pompeii, that industry was the production of garum, an extremely rich source of umami.

Garum was a staple condiment of the Ancient World, from Greece to Byzantium to Arabia. It was made by fermenting the innards of fish in brine, using terracotta jugs called urcei. This may not sound very appetizing, but your average ancient Roman would have disagreed. Garum appears to have been the most popular condiment in ancient Rome—the equivalent of soy

sauce in the Far East (incidentally, another major source of umami). And Pompeii was famous for its garum. Hundreds of urcei have been unearthed at Pompeii, and it appears to have been a lucrative business—the biggest supplier, Aulus Umbricius Scaurus, owned a luxurious house overlooking the sea, replete with a private bath suite.

Aug .30 . 2017 vol .2④

About Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (Ajinomoto Co.) is a global manufacturer of high-quality seasonings, processed foods, beverages, amino acids, pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals. For many decades Ajinomoto Co. has contributed to food culture and human health through wide-ranging application of amino acid technologies. Today, the company is becoming increasingly involved with solutions for improved food resources, human health and global sustainability. Founded in 1909 and now operating in 30 countries and regions, Ajinomoto Co. had net sales of JPY 1,091.1 billion (USD 10.07 billion) in fiscal 2016. For more about Ajinomoto Co. (TYO : 2802), visit www.ajinomoto.com. For further information or references and literature support of any information contained in this newsletter, please contact Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Global Communications Department: ajigcd_newsletter@ajinomoto.com

Almost two thousand years later, probably unaware of garum, Professor Ikeda pioneered the scientific analysis of the umami taste. But it still took Western science almost one hundred years to pay attention. Why?

For starters, the manuscript describing Professor Ikeda’s research was written, naturally enough, in Japanese, and unfortunately, it wasn’t translated into English for decades. This put Western chemists, for whom the lingua franca is English, years and years behind on the basic research that would validate Professor Ikeda’s findings.

Secondly, while the word “taste” is used colloquially by most people, in scientific terms it has a very specific meaning. People may say something “tastes like chocolate,” but a scientist would say, “chocolate isn’t a taste, it’s a flavor.”

Consider this: if the five basic tastes are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, where exactly does spiciness fit in? Well, spiciness is considered a taste—but it’s not one of the five “basic tastes.” The reason is that spiciness isn’t detected by the taste receptors. Instead, it activates nerve fibers directly through cutaneous sensation fibers on the tongue—the same fibers that detect pain and temperature.

And chocolate? According to science, it’s a flavor, because the experience of eating it also involves its aroma, its fullness, and its depth.

Taste receptors are basically information receptors3. The human body requires a variety of nutrients to remain healthy, and tastes are the basic information that helps us detect the composition of the different foods we eat. Ever crave something sweet? It’s probably your body telling you it could use a little more glucose in its blood stream. Ever crave something bitter? Probably not—and that’s because basically bitterness is a marker for poison. And if you’re craving umami, you could probably use a little protein in your diet.

ATP

Taste map of the tongue isobsolete!!

Receptor cells

Gustatory nerve

Serotonin

Taste bud

Support cell

Presynapticcell

Tight junction

Sweet Umami Bitter Salty or sour

Cutaneous sensation

Bitter

Sour Sour

Salty SaltySweet

The Subtlest TasteUmami is detected directly through the taste receptors, but it’s a lot harder for most people to identify or describe than the other four basic tastes. One reason is that the source of the umami taste isn’t as obvious. Saltiness comes from salt. Sweetness comes from sugar. And umami? Umami comes from MSG.

■ Taste Receptor Cells

■ Common Foods Sources of The Five Basic Tastes

Taste sensation

Spicy

Trigeminal nerve

Taste Common foodsTaste

substance

SucroseFructoseGlucose

Acetic acidCitric acidLactic acid

Sodiumchloride

CaffeineAlkaloids

Momordicin

GlutamateInosinateGuanylate

Sweet

Sour

Salty

Bitter

Umami

Sugar CandyHoney

Vinegar

Salt

Coffee Bitter melons Chocolate(90% cacao mass)

Lemons Limes Yogurt

Tomatoes Cheese MeatMSG

References:

1 Kikunae Ikeda (1933), “My Motivation for inventing AJI-NO-MOTO” Courtesy of Aozora Bunko.

2 Nirupa Chaudhari et al (2000), “A metabotropic glutamate receptor variant functions as a taste receptor,” Nature Neuroscience, 3:113 – 119.

3 Xiaodong Li et al (2002) : “Human receptors for sweet and umami taste,” Proc Natl Acad Sci, 99:4692–4696

Tentang Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (Ajinomoto Co.) adalah produsen global bumbu penyedap, makanan olahan, minuman, asam amino, obat-obatan, dan bahan kimia khusus berkualitas tinggi. Selama beberapa dekade Ajinomoto Co. telah berkontribusi terhadap kultur pangan dan kesehatan manusia melalui beragam aplikasi teknologi asam amino. Saat ini, perusahaan semakin banyak terlibat untuk menghadirkan solusi dalam memperbaiki sumber-sumber pangan, kesehatan manusia, dan sustainabilitas global. Didirikan pada tahun 1909, saat ini perusahaan kami beroperasi di 30 negara dan wilayah, Ajinomoto Co. mencatat hasil penjualan bersih sebesar 1.091,1 miliar Yen (10,07 miliar dolar AS) pada tahun anggaran 2016. Untuk informasi lebih lanjut tentang Ajinomoto Co. (TYO : 2802), kunjungi www.ajinomoto.com

Untuk informasi lebih lanjut atau rujukan dan dukungan literatur untuk informasi yang tercantum dalam buletin ini, silakan hubungi Departemen Komunikasi Global Ajinomoto Co., Inc.: ajigcd_newsletter@ajinomoto.com

Bagaimana dengan cokelat? Menurut sains, cokelat merupakan perisa, karena saat memakannya seseorang akan merasakan aroma, keutuhan, dan ketajamannya.

Reseptor rasa pada dasarnya adalah penerimainformasi3. Tubuh manusia memerlukan berbagai nutrisi agar tetap sehat, dan rasa adalah informasi dasar yang membantu kita mendeteksi komposisi beragam makanan yang kita makan. Pernahkah Anda sangat menginginkan makanan manis? Bisa jadi karena tubuh memberi tahu Anda bahwa tubuh Anda memerlukan sedikit tambahan glukosa. Pernahkah Anda sangat menginginkan makanan pahit? Mungkin tidak—hal itu disebabkan karena pada dasarnya pahit adalahpenanda untuk racun. Dan jika Anda sangatmenginginkan rasa umami/gurih, Anda mungkin dapat menambahkan sedikit protein dalam pola makan Anda.

ATP

Peta rasa pada lidahsudah usang!!

Sel reseptor

Saraf gustanori

Serotonin

Kuncuppengecap

Sel pendukung

Selpresinaptik

Hubungan erat

Manis Umami Pahit Asin atau asam

Sensasi kutan

Pahit

Asam Asam

Asin AsinManis

Rasa Paling SamarRasa umami/gurih dideteksi langsung melalui reseptor rasa, tetapi kebanyakan orang akan lebih sulit mengiden-tifikasi atau menjelaskan rasa ini dibandingkan empat rasa dasar lainnya. Salah satu alasannya adalah karena sumber rasa gurih tidak terlalu jelas. Rasa asin berasal dari garam. Rasa manis berasal dari gula. Sementara Umami? Umami berasal dari MSG.

■ Sel Reseptor Rasa

■ Sumber Makanan yang Umum untuk Lima Rasa Dasar

Sensasi rasa

Pedas

Saraf Trigeminal

Rasa Makanan yang umumZat rasa

SukrosaFruktosaGlukosa

Asam asetatAsam sitratAsam laktat

Natriumklorida

KafeinAlkaloid

Momordisin

GlutamatInosinatGuanilat

Manis

Asam

Asin

Pahit

Gurih

Garam PermenMadu

Cuka

Kopi Pare Cokelat(90% massa

kakao)

Lemon Jeruk Nipis Yogurt

Tomat Keju

Referensi:

1 Kikunae Ikeda (1933), “My Motivation for inventing AJI-NO-MOTO” 1933, Courtesy of Aozora Bunko.

2 Nirupa Chaudhari et al (2000), “A metabotropic glutamate receptor variant functions as a taste receptor”. Nature Neuroscience, 3:113-119

3 Xiaodong Li et al. (2002): “Human receptors for sweet and gurih taste,” Proc Natl Acad Sci, 99:4692–4696

MSG Daging

vol .2④

Garam

27 September 2017