It is not really a taste per say (technically it is). If you taste MSG you will say it taste salty but it will taste like the best salt that has ever been in yo

It is not really a taste per say (technically it is). If you taste MSG you will say it taste salty but it will taste like the best salt that has ever been in your mouth, like you could not add another ingredient to it and make it any better. The best way I have heard it described is "Fullness of flavor" and that is what it is it makes the dish taste complete, like it does not need one more thing to be the best taste ever. This is why it does not scale like sweet or salty does, it's more binary like it has umami or it does not. I agree with the other child post that MSG is a good way to isolate the experience, but if you are hesitant about MSG try truffles (real, not the oil) without any other ingredients or dried shiitake they will be the closest to just isolating umami.