Kikunae Ikeda (池田菊苗, 1864 – 1936) was a Tokyo Imperial University professor who discovered the umami flavor. He discovered that the common component that produced the flavor of meat, seaweed and tomatoes was glutamate, which produces the sensation of umami.
He also patented the manufacture of monosodium glutamate.
External links
- History of Property Rights - Ikeda, Kikunae
