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Umami
The fifth basic taste, often described as savory, meaty, or brothy, and is triggered by foods rich in glutamate or nucleotides like inosinate and guanylate. Found naturally in ingredients such as aged cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, cured meats, and fermented sauces, umami provides richness and a lingering, mouth-coating depth to dishes. It enhances and balances salty, sweet, and sour flavors, and emerges through processes like fermentation, aging, and slow cooking. Umami is present in both plant and animal foods and is a powerful building block for developing full-flavored, satisfying cuisine.
Underproof
Underproof indicates dough that has not been allowed to ferment or rise long enough, resulting in dense bread with poor texture and limited oven spring.
Unmold
To remove a food item (cake, custard, terrine, gelatin, bread) from its shaping pan or mold after setting or baking.
Unctuous
A food descriptor meaning richly fatty, oily, or buttery in texture, often associated with luxurious mouthfeel and a silky, smooth sensation. It’s typically used for dishes like pork belly, foie gras, bone marrow, and double-cream cheeses. In wine, it refers to soft, velvety, and intense flavor layers.
Unleavened
Unleavened foods are baked or cooked without any leavening agents (yeast, baking powder, baking soda), resulting in denser, flatter items like matzo, tortillas, and some flatbreads. These breads are often historically or culturally significant and feature simple mixtures of flour and water. Unleavened recipes require particular handling for texture, as no rising occurs.
Utility Knife
A medium-length, versatile kitchen knife (5–7 inches) used for slicing, trimming, and prepping foods too small for a chef’s knife but too large for a paring knife.
