Cássio Prados introduces umami in Brazil’s Southeast region | Press

São Paulo, February 2017 – Brazilian cuisine shares many things in common, but the unique traits of each region are the true standouts on this scene. One of the main players in this culinary culture is umami, one of the five basic tastes of the human palate, which has been gaining fans at every corner of Brazil. And the Southeast is no exception.

One of the promoters of this taste in a region known for its cultural diversity is chef Cássio Prados. A graduate of São Paulo’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Gastronomy and voted São Paulo’s best chef for innovation at the Prêmio Dólmã (2014), the culinarian says that after discovering umami’s existence, the taste became part of his life. “These days, I always think of umami as an ally in harmonizing ingredients, with the aim of highlighting the perceptions of different tastes,” the chef explains.

Born in São Paulo and with nearly 20 years of experience in various kitchens, the chef says Paulistanos are lovers of umami, as it is present in many typical dishes from the region. “Virado à Paulista and Picadinho are two examples of everyday umami dishes for people in São Paulo,” Cássio notes. “The meats and tomatoes in these recipes are rich in free glutamate, the amino acid responsible for delivering umami to foods.”

To illustrate the presence of umami in dishes from the Southeast, chef Cássio Prados suggests a recipe for Cuscuz Paulista shared by chef Benê Ricardo—the first woman to graduate in gastronomy in Brazil, at SENAC in 1981—on the Umami Portal. Check it out:

Cuscuz Paulista

Ingredients

• 300 g catfish
• 1 heart of palm (40 g)
• 4 eggs (200 g)
• 200 g tomato
• Chopped parsley and scallions to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed (20 g)
• Sliced onions to taste
• 1 ladle of fat/oil (120 g)
• Pitted olives to taste
• Red pepper and black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (15 g)
• 500 g cornmeal (coarse corn flour)
• Canned sardines to taste
• Collard greens to taste

Directions

1. Fry the fish in steaks, boned. Sauté the heart of palm cut into rounds, hard-boil the eggs, and peel the tomatoes. Chop the herbs. In a saucepan, add the fat/oil and, when hot, fry the onion rings and garlic; add the tomatoes, herbs, peppers, and warm water. Let this sauce simmer for a while, adding water if needed.
2. In a large bowl, place the cornmeal and the flour. Add the (warm) sauce, the heart of palm, the chopped items, the olives, and the fish. Mix, avoiding a dry texture.
3. Pour boiling water into a cuscuzeira (steaming mold). Decorate the bottom with tomato slices, pieces of canned sardines, and slices of hard-boiled egg. Spoon in the corn mixture, pressing it down firmly.
4. Cover with collard green leaves, close the steamer, and cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes. Unmold onto a large platter.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep time: 50 minutes

UMAMI

It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami confirmed the existence of specific receptors for this taste on the taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances. The two main characteristics of umami are increased salivation and a lingering taste for a few minutes after eating. To learn more, visit portalumami.com.br.