“The first step in creating an umami-rich dish is to use quality ingredients that have developed the glutamate and associated chemicals that contribute to umami,” explained chef Eric Wynkoop, director of culinary instruction for Rouxbe online culinary school.

Wow! Just by reading those words, we may experience a bit of nosebleed. We want to simplify things; after all, we are not exactly cooking for celebrity guests. We just want to surprise our loved ones -- or ourselves -- if we could hone our culinary skills a bit and add some perk to our dishes.

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First, what is "umami"? And why does it have a special part in Japanese cuisine?

Are you familiar with the four basic flavors: salty, sweet, sour, and bitter? Well, umami is the fifth flavor in the key taste profiles. It was identified by Japanese researcher Kikunae Ikeda, who wanted to know the "secret" in the brown kelp that his wife had been using to make unique, savory soups.

To him, the flavor was kind of familiar -- like katsuobushi, dried fish, and meat. He conducted experiments and discovered the special taste molecule that gave his wife's soups their savoriness or umami -- the "monosodium version of glutamate."

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Later, umami was recognized as the fifth taste and according to the belief of food scientists, it is this flavor that lasts the longest in our taste buds. Hence, we desire umami or savoriness the most. It was further ascertained there should be a combination of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and disodium inosinate (IMP) in order to create this flavor.

Now, you must have an idea just where Aji-no-moto came from. But those who cherish real umami flavor, not the artificial kind, use ingredients that naturally make dishes savory or umami-rich.

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And here's the exciting part: You can easily achieve this by adding "miso" to your dish! If you have eaten in a Japanese restaurant, you must have heard about or even tasted miso soup. It's unique, savory, and very healthy.

Miso, as you must have guessed, is the "secret" why this particular soup is special. But, what is miso? According to Reader's Digest Asia, it's "a richly flavored paste made from fermented soybeans, which are then mixed with salt and koji, the same mold used to make sake, a beloved Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice. Miso may also contain barley, rye, rice or other grains."

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Another wonder of this ingredient is that you just need to add a small amount of miso to make your dish umami-rich! And yet, this paste is packed with numerous health benefits due to its high levels of probiotics, cancer-fighting isoflavone, vitamins, minerals, and protective anti-oxidants.

Miso paste also comes in a variety -- some are salty, while others are sweet and mild depending on the grains from which they're made and how long they've been fermented.

You can find the following kinds of miso paste in a Japanese grocery store:

• Red miso. Also known as aka miso, the intense savoriness of this paste comes from barley, soybeans, and other grains that have been aged for a very long time.
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• White miso. This paste is also called shiro miso, and its primary ingredients are soybeans and rice. This miso has a mildly sweet and delicate taste compared to red miso due to a shorter fermentation period.
• Yellow miso. This paste is also known as shinsu miso, and its flavor is between white miso and red miso.
• Awase miso. This is a delightful combination of red and white miso that can be used in many recipes.

To get familiar with miso, you can start cooking some Japanese dishes with it. Then, when you're accustomed with the umami flavor it creates, try it on dishes that you want to turn into nutritious, savory foods that your loved ones will crave!

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