UMAMI
In Baldissero d'Alba, right in the heart of the iconic Langhe and Roero region, there is Umami, a young company specializing in the production of black garlic, black shallots, and natural food processing. Umami uses only the highest quality Italian raw materials and traditional methods. All production is aimed at exploring new flavors. The ultimate goal? To give a dish a “savory,” unique, and enveloping taste. An “umami” taste, as the Japanese would say.
William and Alice, a shared passion for fermented foods
Turning your studies into your life's work—and your passion—while embracing your personal interests. It sounds like a dream, but in the case of Umami—a young Italian company based between Langhe and Roero—specializing in the production of black garlic and black shallots, it's more of a project than a dream. To be precise, Alice and Guglielmo's life project. Wife and husband, lovers of gourmet restaurants, with a degree in biology behind them and the decision to evolve the skills acquired at university on fermentation into a working adventure. An adventure made up of exclusive and certified raw materials, know-how and traditional methods, but above all, the highest quality and lots and lots of flavor.
But let's start at the beginning, because what often drives a business's success is how it starts, and there's no better start than a name that represents it.
Umami, then. In the sense given to it by the Japanese, namely “savory”: one of the five basic tastes perceived by specialized receptor cells in the human mouth, along with sweet, bitter, salty, and sour.
Umami as a name and as a corporate philosophy: the search for unique taste through the natural transformation of food and the exploration of new flavor nuances capable of enhancing every dish.
Umami and Polesano garlic PDO
So far, it all seems very simple and straightforward. But to turn a good product into a gourmet delicacy, the raw material must be of the highest quality and proven. That's why Guglielmo and Alice have chosen to use only the best selection of Polesano DOP garlic, which guarantees certification throughout the supply chain and is also known as Italy's white gold for its undisputed quality. It is a very noble product that lends itself to the preparation of many recipes. Specifically, Umami black garlic is a gourmet product that starts with Polesine white garlic PDO and is the result of a long process of maturation and natural fermentation, which can last more than a month.
During fermentation, which takes place in special maturation cells at a constant and controlled temperature and humidity, the white garlic loses its strong, pungent flavor, its consistency becomes soft, and a licorice aftertaste is enhanced. In practice, this creates a unique and enveloping “umami flavor” reminiscent of balsamic vinegar or soy sauce.
Above all, the garlic changes color from white to black. This is the result of the Maillard reaction, a completely natural process caused by the caramelization of sugars. This procedure is quite long and can take up to a month.
Guglielmo and Alice check the degree of ripeness of the bulbs inside the cells on a daily basis, both in terms of texture and taste: this is the artisanal part of their work, where their “rare and precious” know-how lies. Only when they are fully satisfied do they take them out of the cells and package them. Thanks to this natural ripening process, all the properties of garlic are enhanced, turning it into a superfood that promotes well-being thanks to its antioxidant and antibacterial properties.
Not only that, but garlic loses allicin—the substance that causes bad breath—and therefore becomes more digestible. In other words, it becomes kiss-proof.
This makes it perfect for enhancing the flavor of meat, fish, cheese, and vegetables. It can be added raw to any dish or used to cream pasta or risotto. Try using it in the classic garlic, oil, and chili pepper sauce to transform one of the most common dishes in Italian cuisine into a gourmet recipe. Take Longino's word for it!
Umami: Not just black garlic
Although Umami has only been on the market since 2019, it has managed to establish its gourmet black garlic not only in the kitchens of the best Michelin-starred restaurants, but also on the tables of the most demanding gourmets. This is because Alice and Guglielmo have been able to combine their expertise in fermentation with traditional know-how, using only Polesine PDO garlic, whose undisputed quality is certified by a consortium that guarantees the entire production chain. However, Umami's excellence is not limited to this single product. The Longino & Cardenal catalog also features fermented Italian black shallots, which are obtained using a process very similar to that used for garlic. In addition to whole bulbs, the two products are also available in jars in the form of black garlic cream and black shallot cream. Both are ready to use and made by adding only water and extra virgin olive oil to the fermented bulb purée.
The first is characterized by a sweet and balsamic taste, ideal for seasoning pasta or risotto or as an accompaniment to meat, fish, cheese, and vegetable dishes. The second has a fruity-balsamic taste and, in addition to offering an extra touch of flavor to any dish, is also perfect on eggs and vegetables, both cooked and raw.
The catalog also includes Italian black garlic salt, a ready-to-use gourmet condiment characterized by a balsamic and smoky aroma, ideal for seasoning meat, fish, salads, and eggs. But Guglielmo and Alice's creativity and inventiveness know no bounds: the couple is currently fermenting new raw materials, such as fruit and vegetables, to discover which products could become superfoods. But always with an umami flavor.
