The goods concerned-long-stem onions, shiitake mushrooms, and tatami rushes-accounted for less than 0.2 per cent of bilateral trade.

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Umami, the savory "fifth taste" that gives foods like anchovies and shiitake mushrooms their meaty depth, is found in kombu in a greater concentration than in any other food.

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Next fill up on the Umami Burger -- voted Burger of the Year in 2010 -- with its topping of shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, parmesan crisps and umami ketchup.

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Caines takes Devon's regional ingredients several steps further, adding his own world-food nuances: ravioli of Brixham crab with a ginger-and-shellfish sauce, slow-poached Cornish sea bass with Thai puree, stir-fried shiitake mushrooms and a lemongrass foam, slow-roasted Hatherleigh venison with braised pork belly.

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To make this dashi, simmer kombu (a dried seaweed) and bonito (dried tuna belly flakes). (Both ingredients are available at most Japanese markets and some specialty stores.) If you can't find kombu, Ms. Schwertner suggests using dried shiitake mushrooms, which impart a similar umami flavor.

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