Umami is the fifth basic taste, alongside sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. In matcha, it’s the savory richness that makes good matcha taste complex and satisfying rather than just grassy or bitter.
What Umami Actually Is
Umami was discovered in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda while studying kombu seaweed broth. He isolated glutamic acid as the source of the distinctive savory taste and named it “umami” (from umai, meaning delicious).
It took until 1985 for umami to be internationally recognized as a basic taste, and until 2000-2002 for scientists to identify the specific taste receptors (T1R1+T1R3) that detect it.
How to Recognize Umami
Three key sensations distinguish umami from other tastes:
- Coats your tongue — spreads across your whole mouth, not just the tip
- Lingers for minutes — the pleasant taste persists well after swallowing
- Promotes salivation — makes your mouth water with thicker saliva
If you’ve tasted Parmesan cheese, miso soup, or soy sauce, you know umami. Quality matcha shares that same satisfying depth.
Why Matcha Has Umami
The umami in matcha comes primarily from L-theanine, an amino acid that constitutes 50-60% of the free amino acids in tea leaves. Quality matcha contains approximately 5x more L-theanine than regular green tea.
The key is shade cultivation. Here’s what happens:
In sunlight: Tea plants convert L-theanine into catechins (which cause bitterness) as UV protection.
In shade: This conversion is blocked, preserving the amino acids that create umami while reducing bitterness.
Quality matcha is shaded for 20-30+ days before harvest. Longer shading means more umami and less bitterness.
First Harvest Matters
First-harvest leaves (ichibancha) contain roughly 4x more amino acids than third-harvest tea. During winter dormancy, tea plants accumulate L-theanine in their roots for about six months. The first spring flush captures this concentration.
This is why ceremonial matcha exclusively uses first-harvest leaves — they have the highest umami potential.
Umami as Quality Indicator
High umami generally indicates:
- Proper shade cultivation (20+ days)
- First-harvest leaves
- Young, tender leaf tips
- Good processing that preserved amino acids
However, umami alone doesn’t guarantee quality. Good matcha needs balance — umami plus subtle sweetness, minimal bitterness, fresh vegetal notes, and vibrant green color.
A matcha could have noticeable umami but still be low quality if it lacks complexity, has an unpleasant texture, or tastes harsh.
Preparing for Maximum Umami
Water temperature dramatically affects umami extraction:
| Temperature | Result |
|---|---|
| 70-80°C (158-176°F) | Optimal — extracts umami while minimizing bitterness |
| 100°C (212°F) | Overpowers delicate amino acids with harsh catechins |
Tip: Pour boiling water into an empty vessel first. Each transfer drops the temperature by about 10°C. One transfer gets you close to the ideal range.
The “Fishy” Question
Some people describe quality matcha as having subtle marine or seaweed notes. This is actually a positive sign — it indicates high amino acid content from proper shading.
The Japanese term for this is ooika (覆い香, “covered aroma”), and trained tasters consider it an important quality marker.
The distinction: Subtle marine notes = quality indicator. Overwhelming fishiness = degradation or poor storage.
If you’re new to quality matcha and detect a slight seaweed quality, that’s the umami richness. With experience, most people learn to appreciate it as depth rather than finding it off-putting.
Common Misconceptions
“Umami is just MSG.” MSG (monosodium glutamate) is one substance that triggers umami taste — not the taste itself. Glutamate occurs naturally in tomatoes, cheese, seaweed, and matcha. Your body processes natural glutamate and MSG identically.
“More umami always means better matcha.” Umami needs to be balanced with sweetness and minimal bitterness. Excessive umami without proper balance can taste unpleasant.
“Umami means savory.” While umami translates as “pleasant savory taste,” it has specific physiological characteristics that distinguish it from general savoriness. Not all savory foods contain the compounds that trigger umami receptors.