Hey, Is That Umami On Your Sleeve, Or Are You Just Glad To See Me?

Though some people now question the very existence of umami and think it is all a corporate spell, others are getting inked to show their love.

It’s the arm of “Ariel,” who wrote in to Discovery magazine’s Science Tattoo Emporium: “This is the molecular representation of glutamic acid, the amino acid associated with the Umami flavor, the proverbial fifth taste. I am a former chef turned public health major and fell in love with the elegance of chemical compounds but never forgot my unctuous roots.”

Unctuous roots! Surely that is being served somewhere in Portland right now.

—Snacktime