Abstract: Meat, shellfish, fish, monosodium glutamate and soy sauce have special delicious taste, and the interaction between umami substances such as nucleotides, amino acids, organic acids and inorganic ions could significantly improve the overall flavor of food. Umami is not a simple taste, current studies mainly focus on the quantitative detection of umami substances, however, the mechanisms of their interactions remain unclear. In this article, the flavor characteristics of umami substances, their corresponding interaction mechanisms and research methods were reviewed, which would provide a theoretical basis for further research and development of flavor foods and seasonings.