Question

What did Kikunae Ikeda discover, and how did it change the way taste is perceived almost a hundred years later?

Answer 1

A Japanese Chemist and Professor, Kikunae Ikeda is credited for uncovering the chemical basis for the Umami taste. He accidently discovered this new taste by realizing his dashi broth was more delicious because of the addition of kombu or kelp. More than a hundred years from then, humans have developed a liking to Umami, probably because it our brain associates it with the presence of protein.