Umami Comes Naturally to Snacks

Browsing the supermarket snack aisle can feel like taking a round-the-world vacation these days. Flavors from the four corners are making the journey right to our favorite chips, crackers and savory snacks, sending product developers far and wide in search of the next exciting profile.

Asia should be at the top of their itinerary. The flavors of Asia have much to offer the snacking scene. Interest in Asian foods is at an all-time high, as the profiles are seen as fresh and cutting-edge, and the ingredients as wholesome and healthy. Asian cultures have a long snacking tradition of their own, giving designers another source for creative snack concepts.

The not-so-secret secret behind the great taste of Asian flavors is summed up in one word: umami. That’s the savory, complex, indescribably rich character that makes Asian classics like teriyaki chicken, miso soup and char siu pork so irresistible. It’s surprisingly easy to achieve with traditional Asian ingredients such as dried seaweed, dashi broth and naturally brewed soy sauce. But, because manufacturers need functionality as well as flavor, the best choice for snack-food processing is dehydrated soy sauce.

Not all dehydrated soy sauces are created equally. “The only way to develop the true richness that makes soy sauce so full of natural umami is the traditional process of natural brewing,” says Mike Evans, vice president, national sales manager, Kikkoman Sales USA, Inc., San Francisco. “All our soy sauces are naturally brewed. For our dehydrated product, we simply take that top-quality sauce and gently spray-dry it to a powder, keeping all the intense bouquet and umami goodness intact.”

Don’t just think of obviously Asian snacks when it comes to umami, notes Barb Stuckey, executive vice president, marketing, Mattson, Foster City, CA. “We think there’s opportunity to enhance the flavor of all types of snacks with umami—even those you would not typically associate with Asia or Asian flavors,” she says. “Just as you’d use soy sauce to enhance depth of flavor while cooking, you can use it the same way with snacks. It’s a great way to boost the flavor of the base product, as well as the seasoning.”

The spray-drying process yields a water-soluble, dispersible, fully functional dehydrated soy sauce that retains its flavor during heat processing and throughout a snack’s shelf life. Because it’s heat-fusible, reliable topical adhesion is a snap.

“Dehydrated soy sauce really opens up a whole world of flavor for use in snack applications,” Evans says. “We’ve worked with our manufacturer partners to help them achieve an Asian umami twist to everything from traditional crackers and pretzels to sesame-wasabi ‘sushi’ rice chips.”