Umami Booster

Umami booster, the fifth taste

Umami booster is a dry spice blend you can use as a flavour booster for soups, sauces, minced meat and salads. We compose it in our workshop in Klingenberg am Main from three building blocks: Vadouvan as the fermented aromatic heart, crispy roasted onions for roasted notes and tomato flakes for fruit and natural glutamates. The result is a natural umami trigger entirely without flavour enhancers.

How to use

A teaspoon is usually enough to lift soups, sauces, stews, minced meat, bolognese, risotto, wok pans and salad dressings to a new flavour level. Also over grilled vegetables, roasted chicken legs or on avocado toast as a finisher. Sprinkle in directly or sweat briefly in hot fat, both work.

Important: umami booster is very intense. Approach it carefully and season to taste at the end. As it already contains salt, go easy on extra salt when cooking with it.

Minced-meat bolognese in three steps

1. Brown 500 g minced beef in a pan until crumbly.
2. Stir in a teaspoon of umami booster and sweat for a minute until the aroma rises.
3. Deglaze with a tin of chopped tomatoes, simmer for 15 minutes, season with fine Luisenhaller Tiefensalz and serve over pasta.

Tip: for a sashimi highlight, stir a pinch of umami booster into a splash of rice vinegar and drizzle drop by drop over thinly sliced raw salmon, with soy sauce on the side.

At a glance

• Dry spice blend with Vadouvan, roasted onions and tomato flakes
• Natural umami trigger, without flavour enhancers or yeast extract
• Salt is included, no extra seasoning needed
• Workshop quality from Klingenberg am Main
• Versatile for soups, sauces, minced meat, salads and marinades

Goes well with

If you want to push the umami concept further, combine it with our pure Vadouvan, the fermented Indo-French blend. As a liquid we recommend the SHOYU ROYAL Vadouvan soy sauce or the plant-based tomato seasoning concentrate Tomami #1 Umami. As a paste for sauces and stews, our Umami seasoning paste brings depth to the dish. You'll find more savoury blends in our spice blends.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is umami and what does it taste like?
Umami is the fifth taste alongside sweet, salty, sour and bitter. It is often described as savoury, full-bodied and meaty and arises mainly from glutamates in ripe tomatoes, mushrooms, parmesan, soy sauce or fermented foods. Our umami booster brings this taste to your dish in a concentrated and natural way.

What can I use umami booster for?
For soups, broths, sauces, stews, minced meat, bolognese, risotto, wok dishes, marinades, burger patties, salad dressings and as a finisher over avocado toast or roasted vegetables. Anywhere a dish lacks depth and savoury seasoning.

Is umami booster a flavour enhancer?
No, not in the chemical sense. Umami booster contains neither monosodium glutamate nor yeast extract. The umami effect comes from the natural glutamates of the tomato flakes, the roasted onions and the fermented Vadouvan component.

How does umami booster differ from Vadouvan?
The pure Vadouvan is the fermented base blend with an Indian-French character. The umami booster builds on it and extends it with crispy roasted onions and tomato flakes. This shifts the profile more clearly towards savoury and meaty and fits straight into European dishes like bolognese or stews, without further adjustment.