80. Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Sour, and..... Your Mommy

I've got the sense of taste on the brain, even more than usual, since this week I have been deprived of the senses of smell and taste because of my cold.  When you lose those senses, I gotta tell ya -- life is just not as rich.  One of my sisters was not able to smell for approximately 15 years, except for brief periods of time when her doctors would put her on steroids to shrink her nasal polyps. She couldn't be on steroids any more than she already had been. She had several operations to remove the polyps and they would keep returning. The doctors could no longer operate on them, because they would have to cut too close to the brain, so it was tough luck for her. I was so sad for her.  Her zest for life just about dried up and blew away. Then, guess what?  She switched to homeopathic medicine.  She has no more polyps and can smell and taste again. It's been several years. People who say homeopathy doesn't work can just go take a flying leap.  And you know who you are, you heathen unbeliever, but of course I love you anyway.  Hahaha. (more on this later*)

Anyhoooooo....

I've often said the job of a court reporter/CART provider requires 110% concentration.  Let your mind wander for even a half a second, and you're in trouble.  Also, don't prepare ahead by reading the notes and/or Power Points that the lecturer provides?  At Your Peril.  You know the drill:  You ought to Be Prepared. (duh)  That being said, I don't always "listen" to what is being said, if that makes any sense.

Wellllllll, in the undergraduate biology class I cover, I have been a bit lax on the preparation. It's a bio class for non-science majors, and it really is stuff I either already know, as just a person who's been around this earth for *mumble-mumble* years with a modest level of interest in the world around me, and/or since I started in this work by being thrown head first into the deep end of a molecular and cell biology class and graduate-level cell biology lunch meetings, I kind of feel like I "know it all" already, so I don't really need to prepare.

Ha. Hubris.

A couple weeks ago in the easy bio class, I'm blithely writing along, probably thinking about where I'm going to lunch later and what I'm going to eat, which makes sense, since the professor was talking about the science of taste. I love the professor in this class. She's lively and engaging, and her delivery style is very fun. She uses fun times to pause and a little lilt in her voice as necessary to keep things entertaining.

She's talking and dancing around the front of the lecture hall, as she does, and she has put up a power point slide, but I rarely look at them.  She's way on the other side of the lecture hall, with her back to me, and she goes, "There are five (uses her hands to demonstrate five fingers) sensations of taste:  sweet, salty, sour, bitter .... and" (she pauses a bit dramatically).....I hear and write on the steno keyboard:  "your mommy." 

She says it in a very cute and dramatic way, and turns back around and starts walking more in the direction of where I'm sitting.  Remember, I don't always "listen" to what is being said for the content.  I just get the words.  The way she says it, I think she's trying to say something along the lines that mother's milk or "mammals' mothers" have a special taste.

Or something.  I didn't really think anything of it. 

Her next sentence, though, baffled me. She said something about that it was pinned down by a Japanese biologist, and therefore the name got to be Japanese for the rest of time, and it's the Japanese word for "savory."

Hmm.  Cue for Norma to take a look at the Power Point.

Umami. 

I never learned about umami in school, but I have read about it as an adult, and being a cook -- and for a long time a vegetarian cook -- I have intuitively used the principle of umami flavoring to make things taste better and more satisfying. But it's interesting to note that although the discovery was made in Japan quite a long time ago, and apparently by the famous French chef Escoffier at around the same time, it's only received recognition and attention in the west fairly recently "due to recent scientific discoveries." Typical.

There was a nice little piece on NPR on umami last November, which followed articles in the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere about the "new taste sensation."  Turns out I had read an article about it when it appeared in the New York Times, but had forgotten about it.

It was a super-cool coincidence that the very next day in the graduate-level cell biology lunch, the presentation was on this very subject -- umami. I showed up early that day, as did the graduate student who was presenting. He was carrying a bag of Lay's potato chips and a bag of Doritos. I asked him about the snacks, and he said his presentation that day was going to be on umami. Having brushed up on the whole thing the night before after the funny incident in the lower-level bio class, I sounded way more intelligent on the subject than I otherwise might have. I started asking questions that I pulled out of my butt like, "So, how do you know if the mouse is tasting glutamate?  Are you measuring action potential on those cells in order to make that determination?"   

I've learned that in cell biology you can pretty much say "measure action potential" in just about any context and you've got the right answer. Related dating tip:  If you're trying to get into the pants of a cell biologist, just say "So what are you doing there -- measuring the action potential?" and you're in.  Guaranteed. Plus, that case of brownies I brought in one day has given me a Lifetime Achievement Award with that department, I'll tell ya.

Anyway. I didn't mean to get carried away there. Mwahaha.

Back to picking on my homeopathy-detracting friend, which is really the point of this entire post (not really, but I sure am having fun with that part of it), I love the following part of the NPR piece. It rather sums up what I have been trying to give as the explanation for homeopathy all along to my scientist friend who has his head so far up his scientific butt that he can't see straight.

The Moral

In his new book, Proust Was a Neuroscientist, Jonah tells eight stories that share a common theme. In each case, (he chooses Marcel Proust, Walt Whitman, George Elliot, Paul Cezanne, Igor Stravinsky, Gertrude Stein, Virginia Wolf and, yes Auguste Escoffier) an artist is busy about his/her work and happens to observe something or sense something about the real world that scientists have not yet noticed, or that scientists say is not true. But because artists are so good at describing what it's like to experience the world, so intent on delivering the truth of what it feels like to be alive, so intuitive, in each of these eight cases, the artists learn something that the scientists don't discover until years later.

Art, Jonah reminds us, describes the same world that science does; art just does it by a different route. And sometimes, more often than you would suppose, the artists get there first.

-----------------------------------------------

Have I made you hungry?  Want umami?  Check out The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  I'm not sure if she knows the word, but she sure as hell knows the concept.  Are you vegetarian?  Then don't go to Pioneer Woman.  She'll scare ya.  Try this.

 

Comments

[naomi]

That really only works with electrophysiology types. ;) Even my flavor of cellular neurobiology doesn't actually involve a lot of action potentials. (Or, actually, I guess the difference is more closely related to how much we expect you to know or care about our work, but "are you measuring the action potential?" will come off as silly if you're being shown, say, expression data for someone's gene of interest.)

Great story, though.

[Kristen]

I hate to confess such a thing in public, but I'm going to anyway: I'm someone who fancies herself to be a bit of a gourmet. A vegetarian gourmet, but gourmet nonetheless. I don't get umami. To me anything described as umami registers in my brain as salty. I don't care for MSG because to me it makes things taste too salty. Can't stand Chinese restaurant food. (I have had some wonderful home-cooked Chinese.) I guess my snob rating just lost a few points.

[Stephanie]

Holy crap that Pioneer woman uses a LOT of butter! But damn it looks good. Your mommy!

[maryse]

i think your mommy must be my favorite taste.

[Nora]

I really like to say "Escoffier" aloud. I also am at somewhat of a loss to get the umami thing - I always thought it was akin to soy, or salt. Yo mama.

[Carole]

I have no idea what you're talking about. But now I'm hungry. ;-)

[margene]

I remember that story on NPR. Umami is so interesting and I understood the concept...I'd love to really "taste" it now. Pioneer Woman's food looks so good, but I just couldn't eat that way in reality...damn it.

[minnie]

auguste escoffier was a man before his time. bobby flay? a hack. emeril? a pretender.

he knew where it was at. in my culinary arts program, we were required to buy a book by escoffier (i can't recall what it isnow). however, we weren't required to read it, lol (it was a reference material). i read it. some of the tastes represented in there would blow most "ordinary" people's minds. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[Chris]

Measuring the action potential - isn't that something guys do competitively in locker rooms?

[katy]

I just want to follow Pioneer Woman around for a week, don't you? Do you think she would host a knitting retreat in the lodge she is renovating? ;)
Hadn't heard of umami except in passing, must explore.

[Teresa C]

I've heard of umami, and sort of thought that it is a concept that has been around in cooking, I think my mom put things together to achieve it, but it now has a name. But seeing the Pioneer Woman. Yeah, that is my mom's cooking.

[Marcia Cooke]

Every time I hear the word "umami" I think of a "Friends" episode when Ross was hung up on karate and kept saying a word something like that. Anyway. As for PW....she better get Marlboro Man off that butter and Crisco and onto Smart Balance and olive oil or she's gonna be writing about nursing him back to health after his quadruple bypass surgery. Ask me how I know.....

[June]

What Naomi said. ;)

Of course, with a graduate degree in Food Science, I knew exactly what you must have heard when I read the title of your post. Heh.

Better living through chemistry and all that.

[Becca]

Evan Kleiman talked about Escoffier with Jonah Lehrer (the "Proust Was a Neuroscientist" author) on Good Food last month--I just listened to the podcast. It sounds like an interesting book.
Here's the link to the podcast:
http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/gf/gf080223big_sur_bakery_north

When I first heard about umami quite a few years ago, for me it was an aha moment.

[Sara]

I've never heard umami before... but honestly love the "your mommy" version better.

Of course it caused me to snort coffee up my nose, which burns a little, and which may take away my sense of smell, too.

[Cheryl S.]

I learned about umami in a cooking class I took last year. Of course, I promptly forgot all about it until you mentioned it. That eggplant soup sounds very yummy. Except for the Lima beans. Ptoooey!!

[jessica~]

Very interesting post, Norma. I'm going to look up Umami a bit more, sounds right up my alley...
Chris' "locker room" comment is too funny...

[marianne]

I have to agree with Marcia Cooke's comment about PW and her Marlboro Man... but oh mercy, some of her recipes have me in a puddle of drool.
I'm with you on the homeopathics.. all the way!

[DebbieB]

Damn you - now I'll be reading and searching the internet all day, following links and learning stuff.

Wait, I meant - thank you. Or did I?

[leah]

Ever since I first read about umami a few years ago, I've called it "yo' momma". I think it expresses the concept rather well, actually. And I believe in butter! It's actually way better for your body than some of the creepy engineered foods we've been fooled into thinking are good for us. I thought we used a lot of it around here, until I read that sandwich recipe...

[Karen]

that recipie looks very good :-)

Your Mommy!!!

[Beth S.]

I gained ten pounds just READING Pioneer Woman's recipes. But do they ever look worth it!

I want the carrot cake.

[KittyMommy]

Last night I was reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and came across umami in describing fresh asparagus. So, now I not only have a nearly obscene craving for fresh asparagus, but I am also being stalked by the word "umami". My six-month-old, however, prefers the "your mommy" version as that is still the bulk of his diet!

[Cookie]

That PW scares me. Love "your mommy", tho.

Happy Weekend, sweetie.

[Carol]

~shluurrrrp~

[Seanna Lea]

I love food and cooking, but don't read a lot of material about it. However, I love all things Japanese so my first thought when I read your post was that it probably shouldn't be pronounced you-mami but oo-mami (oo as in boo).

I won't even look at the PW site. I've been a vegetarian far too long for that.

[Erika]

Umami is a tricky concept. I've heard it described as "the taste that Worcestershire sauce, mushrooms, and ketchup have in common," if that helps other umami-newbies nail it down.

Most things with umami have a lot of salt, which makes it trickier to separate the tastes. Think of it as "savory."

[Joan]

Norma,

Loved your post on umami. But what I'm really interested in is the homeopathy relief for nasal polyps. For years I've suffered with polyps - am headed towards surgery - and not being able to smell the world and taste my food really sucks. Any chance you could zap me an email with some info?

Many thanks!

[--Deb]

The Pioneer Woman always has good recipes--and great pictures. That sandwich sounds delish!

Another good one? Coconut and Lime. Recipe blogs are almost as addictive as knitting blogs.

[Lucia]

Maybe I don't really understand what homeopathy is, but it doesn't seem like it could work. Obviously it does at least for some people, though.

My husband is very scientifically oriented: if it's not observable or scientifically provable, it doesn't exist. I persist in believing he's missing something, although sometimes I wonder if I'm just indulging in wishful thinking. That's why I love stuff like this.

I've never used salt in cooking -- lots of herbs, but no salt -- so things like canned soup and chips tend to taste almost gaggingly salty to me. Whether they also taste umami-ish, I couldn't tell you.

[a scientist]

I'm with your cynical friend. Homeopathy is unadulterated quackery. You believers have heard this before, but why don't you get it? It only "works" because we have the capacity to heal ourselves - it's nothing but the placebo effect. For an explanation, go to "homeopathy" on Wikipedia. If you have followed the logic and are still a believer in this tomfoolery, you will also believe in voodoo.

[Not a scientist]

Dear scientist:
So Frickin' What?? If it works, it works!

[Mike Scientist/Not Scientistqt]

Hi Norma,
The problem with homeopahty, as well as hundreds of the counter supplements and probably a few prescription drugs, is not that they don't work. Often they do because of the placebo effect. It isn't the "drug" (can I use quotes here?) Some folks are making a TON of money off this effect. Modern day snake oil. Causality IS important. It's how real effective drugs are developed: double blind, placebo controlled, very large studies by organizations that have nothing to gain financially. Homeopathy fails in such studies, as does dousing, voodoo.