Abstract: Umami Peptides are new seasonings with tasty and mellow flavor and they can also participate in Maillard reaction as a precursor to form a special aroma. Therefore, umami peptides can strongly increase the flavor and fragrance of food. Current researches about umami peptides mainly focus on the extraction progress and their participation in the Maillard reaction, meanwhile taste mechanism and peptide resources exploitation still need to be strengthened. In this article, the characteristics, mechanism, structure - activity relationships and production process of umami peptides were reviewed in order to provide a basis for their further exploitation in condiment industry.