Book reviews

“This book, representing the fruits of a long-standing collaboration between the scientist Ole G. Mouritsen and the Danish chef Klavs Styrbæk, is richly illustrated and packed with umami-rich recipes to try at home.”
Charles Spence, Times Literary Supplement 5815, September 12, 2014, p.27.

“An extraordinary work.”
Evan Kleiman, host at Good Food Programme, August 2, 2014: Umami

“Umami is well worth reading by anyone who enjoys food and would like to understand a little more about the reasons and cause of that enjoyment.”
Celticfrogreviews, April 27, 2014.

“Umami adds a fifth dimension to the flavour universe. Biophysicist Ole Mouritsen … seamlessly meshes science and gastronomy …  a stunning menu featuring, for instance, braised monkfish liver with peanuts and raspberries.”
Barbara Kiser, Nature 509, 31 (2014).

Advance praise for Umami

“The book is written in a very engaging manner, easily moving between vignettes of the latest science and mouth-watering menus and photographs.”
Gordon Shepherd, author of Neurogastronomy

“A remarkably comprehensive account of umami taste and one in which the science is not only accurate but accessible and interesting.”
John Prescott, author of Taste Matters: Why We Like the Foods We Do

“In his earlier books Sushi and Seaweeds, Ole Mouritsen wove together biological, chemical, and gastronomical perspectives into rich portraits of these intriguing foods. In Umami, writing with the chef Klavs Styrbæk, he does the same for this much celebrated yet enigmatic “new” taste. Umami is a wide-ranging and welcome progress report on our understanding of taste and deliciousness.”
Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

This book will be your go-to umami resource. The content is cleverly layered with molecular-level explanations of how we taste, alongside rich cultural perspectives and beautiful recipes.  With its stunning graphics, this book is eye candy.”
Amy Rowat, founder of Science & Food

“Mouritsen and Styrbæk demystify and explain in layman’s terms the science of umami, including many Japanese elements that have not been explained in English before in an all-encompassing book. Along with Mouritsen’s other publications Sushi and Seaweeds, Umami will be referred to time and time again.”
Yukari Sakamoto, author of Food Sake Tokyo


  • Ole G. Mouritsen & Klavs Styrbæk
    Columbia University Press, New York
    2014. $34.95
    cup.columbia.edu
    ISBN: 978-0-231-16890-8