how can you distinguish salty foods from umami foods just by merely tasting it?

Answer 1

Umami is a neutral flavor, it has a taste but it falls in to no category. the problem is most food have some level (no mater how small) of salt on it..

take a piece of steak or chicken. cook it (avoid grilling as it adds flavor, try broiling it in the oven), put no flavoring or salt what so ever, then taste it.

you will see it will have a flavor, but it is almost non-existent. that's Umami.

Salt obviously reacts to your taste buds differently. So if you do this experiment a few times, you will begin to recognize the flavor.

it is kinda tricky, but after a while it will become clear.

Best of luck