Forget Sweet and Sour, 'Sixth' Taste Has Been Discovered

(Oct. 29) -- Kokumi, a discovery out of Japan, is being heralded as the "sixth" taste and has already reached store shelves overseas. But foodies be warned, because your taste buds have met their match: Experts still aren't sure exactly what kokumi even tastes like.

For those not well-versed in culinary sensations, note that experts worldwide have already agreed on four standby tastes: sweet, salty, bitter and sour.

A fifth taste, known as umami and just recently accepted as a legitimate addition to the long-standing foursome, is vaguely described as savory or, um, "yummy."

Ajinomoto is the Japanese company behind the latest finding, which they consider a viable alternative to MSG in packaged and prepared food products. Already, Ajinomoto is selling a yeast extract version of kokumi.

But what kokumi is and how it tastes are tough questions to answer.

Japanese researchers think kokumi triggers calcium receptors on the tongue. That, in turn, enhances the flavors of other tastes. For example, a salty food will taste even saltier when accompanied by a product containing kokumi compounds.

Kokumi can be translated to "heartiness," according to some news outlets. Or maybe it's more of a "rich taste," Canada's Globe and Mail speculates.

Unfortunately, none of the terms is especially helpful in pinning down exactly when you've had a kokumi experience.

Foods can have their kokumi factor ramped up by curing, braising, aging or slow-cooking.

If the concept seems difficult for you to grasp -- or to detect during dinner -- take heart in knowing that even top American experts seem to feel the same way.

"I don't know what kokumi is," Michael Tordoff, a research scientist behind the discovery of calcium receptors, told the Toronto Star. "I've talked to the scientists. They brought me samples. We do not know what these Japanese scientists are talking about."

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