Quote:
Originally Posted by mk05
That's (hopefully) not what he meant. As an Asian who transplanted to Oregon early, I understand both Eastern/Western palates and preferences innately. What I've found is that Americans do not have a taste for umami - it is the black hole in their palate. The concept was, and is, practically unknown to most here. The idea (and the taste) is so foreign, that the word literally does not exist in the English language.
The chef does know what he is talking about. Umami does well balanced with salty and fatty sweet. It would be passable with bacon and fresh baby spinach, which is another great example of umami hiding in plain sight. Bacon fat has an umami texture, as do cheese and spinach. What the chef is looking to do is introduce Asian umami (black garlic) by relating with known Western umami, so even if the taster has no idea, it makes sense subconsciously.
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I had the most insane wild mushroom and yellow noodle soup recently in Singapore. Famous place called Din Tai Fung; a Chinese food chain in South East Asia. The umami flavors were so amazing, I almost fell of my chair!
Americans that do not think of umami flavor just need a few strong umami dishes to associate the flavor with the name. Most know flavor, but may not have the descriptor or memory point.