Kombu, a variety of giant kelp (seaweed), is a cornerstone of Japanese cooking. Kombu is particularly high in free glutamic acid?the umami maker?but its flavor is otherwise rather delicate, so it is an excellent source of MSG. By the way, glutamic acid + sodium = MSG. (You?ll get much more on MSG and umami in our upcoming post: Umami Nation: MSG the Superspice?the Headache is in Your Head.) This post is about kombu broth.
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March 16, 2010
Kombu, a variety of giant kelp (seaweed), is a cornerstone of Japanese cooking. Kombu is particularly high in free glutamic acid?the umami maker?but its flavor is otherwise rather delicate, so it is an excellent source of MSG. By the way, glutamic acid + sodium = MSG. (You?ll get much more on MSG and umami in our upcoming post: Umami Nation: MSG the Superspice?the Headache is in Your Head.) This post is about kombu broth.