In addition to the four main taste components (sweet, sour, salty and bitter), there is the additional taste characteristic named "umami" from the Japanese: "savory". One of the substances responsible for the umami flavor in foods is glutamate, an amino acid found in ripe tomatoes, meat and cheese. Whereas the substance is a welcome component of taste when it occurs naturally, there is evidence to suggest that the use of artifical glutamate is not advisable.
