​Umami
You are probably already combining certain foods for maximum umami flavour, without even knowing it. Umami is imparted by glutamate, a type of amino acid which occurs naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products. Think bacon and cheese on a hamburger, tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Tomato egg drop soup

INGREDIENTS:

• ·       1 ½ tablespoons canola oil 
• ·       1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• ·       350g (¼ pound) ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped 
• ·       ¾ teaspoon salt 
• ·       1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
• ·       150 g (⅓ pound) minced pork
• ·       5 ½ cups water
• ·       2 eggs, lightly beaten together in a bowl 
• ·       5 sprigs coriander (cilantro), chopped
• ·       Black pepper 
• ·       Sambal Oelek to taste (optional)

METHOD:

• Heat the oil in a 4 litre (4-quart) saucepan over medium heat. When shimmering, add the onion and cook until soft, about four minutes. Add the tomatoes and salt, stir well, then cover the saucepan and cook until the tomatoes have broken down, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally, and turn down the heat to prevent the tomatoes from sticking. 
• Remove the cover and add the fish sauce and pork. Stir well with a wooden spoon to break up the minced pork into little pieces. Pour in the water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. While soup is simmering, skim off any scum that rises to the surface with a spoon. 
• Turn off the heat, then pour the lightly beaten eggs into the saucepan in a wide circle. Stir gently with a wooden spoon to break the egg up into chiffon-like pieces. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with coriander. 

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