Exploring umami
Ready to explore the world through taste? Umami is rising! The global umami flavors market got valued at $4.79 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2025 to 2030. What is driving this growth? Health and wellness shifts. Consumers are looking for natural ways to enhance flavor. Umami-rich foods—like mushrooms, tomatoes, seaweed, and fermented products—deliver a bold taste while offering essential nutrients and antioxidants. The love for Asian cuisine has also fueled demand. More people enjoy umami-packed dishes like sushi, ramen, and miso soup. Food manufacturers are responding by infusing umami into snacks, sauces, and ready-to-eat meals to enhance taste and appeal. Want to learn more about this growing flavor trend? Read on!
Emerging applications
The rise of gourmet cooking at home and the influence of cooking shows and food blogs have also increased awareness and appreciation for umami flavors. Research firm SPATE analyzed TikTok’s top 100 food and drink trends for 2024. Sweet flavors led with 45%, while Umami followed at 20%. According to SPATE, umami flavors offer a rich depth of nuances, with two key subcategories, meaty (80%) and fermented(20%). Each of them is enhancing umami’s savory appeal in distinct ways. Viral Umami Trends on the Rise (YoY Growth on TikTok): Jerky +784.5%, Bean Burger +623%, Steak Diane +508.8%, and Paneer 306.6%. These dishes highlight the crave-worthy appeal of this supposed “fifth taste!”
Australia-based Vow Food created Morsel, an umami-enhanced cultivated-quail product. The startup is actively using biotechnology to produce new and improved forms of meat, claiming that Morsel delivers “umami, roasted chicken” flavors before melting in the mouth. The New York Times recently focused on several innovative meatless umami dishes, including Japanese-style mushroom wafu pasta—excellent cold as well! More leftover-worthy options include this silky, umami-rich doenjang salmon and rice bowl and roasted dill salmon (with umami-herbal soy-dill sauce). Sauce-wise, honey hot barbecue sauce can be considered a relatively low-volume trend with rapid +239.7% YoY growth on Google searches. One great example can be found in Kinder’s Hot Honey BBQ Sauce, with a hint of umami!
Tasty snacking
Looking to elevate your snacking experience? Mushrooms & Love’s Umami Delight Crackers offer the irresistible allure of umami flavors in every crispy bite. As previously shared, Mushrooms may support immunity with antioxidants. They can also help promote heart health by helping lower cholesterol and aid weight management with their low-calorie, high-fiber content. Add the brand’s UmamiSeas Seasoning to nuts, other essential snacks, soups, salads, or stir-fries. How about Cook’s Ingredients Umami Paste? For the ultimate indulgence, if you happen to be visiting NYC, Seven Grams Caffé offers an Umami Cookie with white miso, white chocolate, and walnuts!
Symrise supports balancing trending flavors, offering the richness and complexity of umami, delivered without adding MSG or yeast. Comment below on which tastes you want to balance!
