HOMEMADE UMAMI SAUCE

If you enjoy stir fries but don't like the high salt of over-the-counter soy sauces you will want to check out this recipe. Since I make several stir fries per week, I had to find an alternative to the reduced sodium tamari I was using. This recipe adds a nice umami flavor and is much lower in sodium.

You can find the recipe at “Nutrition Facts” blog: Umami Sauce Redux

See my PowerPoint slide below for info about the sodium content of soy sauce and soy sauce alternatives.

Keep in mind the following:

- A tsp of salt has about 2300 mg sodium

-2/3rd of a tsp of salt has 1500 mg which is the max recommended by the American Heart Association for most adults, especially if you have high blood pressure

Watch this 5 minute video by Dr. Michael Greger about what happens if you get too much salt in your diet: Fewer Than 1 in 5,000 Meet Sodium and Potassium Recommended Intakes

Did you know your mouth can detect 5 basic tastes?: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and "umami" (savory). Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, a Japanese chemist, discovered the scientific reason for this element of taste and called it "umami" from the Japanese word "umai" meaning "delicious." You can learn more about Dr. Kikunae Ikeda at the “Umami Information Center” webpage.

Here's how to pronounce umami.

Clarifications and Information

Total volume for me was 1 1/4 cups. For my stir fry I used 1/4 cup. I did the calculation and my 1/4 cup serving only had 132 mg of sodium.