Umami-rich seasonings and condiments in Western food cultures for umamification in a plant-forward cuisine

Due to the lack of umami and the presence of bitter taste in many plant-based foods there is a need for umamification and reduction of bitterness of these foods to facilitate a transition in dietary choice of those populations and individuals who have to cut down on meat consumption and eat a more plant-rich diet to facilitate a green transition towards a more sustainable eating behaviour. Umamification of plant foods can proceed by either releasing the plants’ inbuild potential to elicit umami using fermentation techniques or by adding umami and suppressing bitterness by application of specific umami-rich seasonings and condiments. Both routes are well-known from vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian food cultures. In this review we provide an overview of such seasonings and condiments that are used in Western food cultures, thereby supplementing a similar review on Asian, specifically Japanese, seasonings and condiments [Ono and Mouritsen, 2025].