Enhancing the umami flavor in a marinade has to do with amino acids — specifically, glutamic acid. This is the compound that gives delicious foods their distinctive flavour. If you want an umami-packed dinner, you’ll want to make sure some of your marinade ingredients are high in this compound, because it lifts the heavy flavor.
Soy sauce, in particular, contains a lot of glutamic acid, along with 19 other amino acids that are created as a result of the breakdown of soybean proteins during the soy sauce making process. They all work together to provide a complex and delicious taste.
Worcestershire sauce is made with a lot of powerful ingredients, like malt vinegar and molasses, but it’s the anchovies that really pack the umami flavor. The salty, fishy, and salty tang that these little swimmers provide really adds a great depth of flavor to pickles.