Taste Sensation

Welcome to my first blog. I hope you find it interesting and fun and please let me know if there is anything you would like to find out about food, drink, me or my pubs, restaurants and cafes.

Food is subjective, people’s likes and dislikes are as diverse as the subject itself. The foods and cuisines of the world are immense in their choice – in the last 25 years of my cooking journey it is only now that I am truly learning about what’s on offer throughout the world and it really excites me to what the future holds with the constant opportunity to develop flavours and tastes.

I really want to share my thoughts and experiences with you, but more importantly, discuss, together, the great subject of food, restaurants, pubs, likes and dislikes, share recipes and talk through the diversity of ingredients available.

Food is also linked closely to cultures and societies, and it is often through finding new ones that we then get to experience their food. I was watching TV recently when I saw the launch of Umami in a tube! – what is Umami I hear you cry – well it is classed as our fifth taste – we are all aware of the other four, sweet, salt, bitter and sour well now there is a fifth and its generally referred to as savouriness.

Umami is a ‘taste booster’ a glutamate, producing a result greater than the sum of the ingredients, it is an enhancer of other tastes bringing a satisfying fullness and freshness to the food it permeates. Everyday foods like Parmesan Cheese, Tomato Ketchup, Sun Dried Tomatoes and our own Henderson’s Relish are all high in Umami. The highest level found are in Kombu Kombu which is a combination of kelp seaweed and dried bonito flakes. As you can imagine it is present in a lot of Japanese cooking and is found in Dried Shitake Mushrooms. Mushrooms.

So as food moves on, new products develop and Umami paste could be something we are all using in 2 or 3 years time to enhance our stocks, casseroles, dressings, stews, ragus, the list is endless. I am currently using it in a dressing that will be on the new Spice Market Cafe menu, our new place on Ecclesall Road in Sheffield. Let me know if you want anymore information and I can talk about it again in another blog.