Ingredient

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are naturally rich in glutamate. But, in a fresh tomato, that glutamate is almost entirely bound up in the protein within the tomato and so can't be tasted. And so a fresh tomato doesn't taste very umami.

The bound glutamate is released once the tomato is cut and particularly when it's dried.

These natural glutamates are why tomatoes and MSG are a winning combination.

Umami strength: 3

Umami type: Basal