A Vegetable Unexpectedly Rich in Umami
A common powerhouse ingredient you probably enjoy anyways
There are some vegetables that I have always known to be rich in umami: sea vegetables like kombu or nori, or mushrooms like shiitake and shimeji. These vegetables are staples in my home, and have been a fundamental part of Japanese food for thousands of years.
But one vegetable I had only recently discovered is also rich in umami, is one that is actually surprisingly very common and used globally around the world. You can find it at any supermarket and almost any restaurant, and you’ve probably enjoyed it yourself before too: the ripe, red, and juicy tomato.
When it comes to fresh vegetables, tomatoes easily rank among the best in umami richness
When it comes to fresh vegetables, tomatoes easily rank among the best in umami richness: measured scientifically they have about 250mg of glutamic acid (units used to measure umami content) per 100g. The fresh vegetables that next come close to this amount, excluding sea vegetables and mushrooms, are green peas, lotus root, or garlic, which have less than half this amount at about 110mg per 100g. A still excellent amount, but moderate in comparison to tomatoes.
