The Fifth Element in Japan

Autumn is coming.

In Japan, it's commonly said that "Autumn is the best season ...Bla Bla Bla" such as "Autumn is the best season for Reading", "~the best season for playing Sports" and "Enjoy tasting the Autumn Appetite ",etc....

As the reason for that, because of you can spend your time comfortably to do something, compared to do in the hot weather season such as like this summer.

Personally,I'm not a bookworm type I would rather have rice dumplings than cherry blossoms, "Hana Yori Dango" in Japanese.

I prefer to select the word to say "Stimulate the Autumn Appetite",　because Autumn is known as the best of "Harvest time" in which farm crops ripen well and produce a large harvest, such as amount of major autmunal fruits, vegetables are cultivated by farm.

You can enjoy having foods with the four gustatory taste "saltiness", "Sweet", "bitter" and "Sour".

But also there is "The Fifth Element" in Japanese culture.

When you hear "the fifth Element", you might remember a blockbuster film which was directed by Luc Besson.

In the story, the four element stones, there're the stone of water, wind, sand and fire were required to save the world. In the end of the film, they found that the strongest impact element was not from four element stone, it was "love". This is "the fifth element". "Love" covers all the fulfillment of those four elements.

(Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law)
(I got the strongest impacted by Chris Tucker, though)

Let me tell you what the fifth element of flavor in Japan is.

That is "Umami", 旨味. (Also, called "Dashi", 出汁)
This is very important element for Japanese food.
Japanese food is not completed without it.
Japanese food such as Soy bean soup, Sushi, Nabe-soup and Tempura needs this fifth element.

The Umami makes a great harmony with the four element tastes.
It is not too much to say that "Umami is the fulfillment of those four tastes.

I don't know how can I explain to you this flavor how tasty it is.
I might say simply, "旨い", "Tasty and Good".
This Umami, fifth element is made from fish, seaweed and Japanese mushroom.

So, please enjoy Japanese food trying to feel this fifth element, Umami in this Autumn.

Also, reccomend you to buy this fifth element, Umami(So called "Dashi" 出汁) at a food shop for your cooking.

I know that some of people who don't eat any food including animal ingredients. Surprisingly,
I found the special fifth element which is only maden from vegetables at the store in "Tokyo Mid-Town" in Roppongi. (See the attached pics. and the website.)