Roasted roots with umami dressing

Umami is often called the fifth taste (after sweet, sour, salty and bitter) and is characterized by a deeply savoury flavour. This new umami paste from Clearspring packs in that taste with a combination of soy sauce, fermented rice, koji (the culture used in soy, mirin and sake production) and a healthy whack of chilli or ginger. The result is a flavour bomb that can multi-task in stews, dips, salad dressings or as here, to perk up a wintery side of roast roots. £4.40/£150g, widely available from health food stores and clearspring.co.uk