Umami is the lesser known of the five tastes, along with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Umami is nutty and savory, meaty and brothy. This unique flavor comes from the amino acid glutamate, which shows up in miso, mushrooms, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and a select few others. Researchers say that the craving for umami steams back to caveman days when the main diet was savory, fatty meat.