Cheer for Brazil with umami recipes – it’s a goal!

Credits: Freepik

Prepare dishes inspired by the opponents from the group stage: Serbia’s pasuli, Switzerland’s potato rösti, and Cameroon’s jollof rice.

São Paulo, November 2022 – The world’s biggest football event is back, and Brazilians know how to make the most of it. What truly matters is gathering friends and family to celebrate every goal and victory to come!

The Umami Committee, Brazil’s official source of information on the umami taste, has selected three delicious recipes to surprise your crowd during the matches. Each dish is inspired by the local cuisine of Brazil’s first-round opponents: Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon.

On the 24th, Brazil’s team debuts against Serbia, a country in Eastern Europe. The local recipe is pasuli (or pasulj), a traditional white bean soup that usually includes beans, smoked meat such as bacon or sausage, carrots, and onions.

The second match takes place on the 28th against Switzerland, a mountainous country in Central Europe. The featured dish is potato rösti, also known as Swiss potato —a recipe already beloved by Brazilians. It’s very versatile and can be served as a side dish for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast.

The third and final group-stage match will be on December 2nd against the Republic of Cameroon, a nation in Central West Africa. The jollof rice recipe is inspired by a popular West African dish made with rice as the main ingredient, along with vegetables and meat.

Now it’s time to score that culinary goal for your team and win this championship with these winning recipes! The whistle blows—let’s play!

Serbia: Pasuli (White Bean Soup)
(Preparation time: 50 minutes)
Serves: 6 portions

Créditos: Comitê Umami

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp oil (45 ml)
• 1 small onion, chopped (100 g)
• 1 garlic clove, chopped (3 g)
• 1 medium smoked sausage link, casing removed, chopped (130 g)
• 1 cup white beans, soaked for 12 hours (170 g)
• 1 L water
• 1 medium carrot, chopped (150 g)
• 2 medium potatoes, diced (400 g)
• 1 tsp salt (5 g)
• ½ tsp AJI-NO-MOTO® monosodium glutamate (2 g)
• 2 pinches black pepper (0.4 g)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (20 g)
• 1 tsp hot paprika (5 g)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley (10 g)

Method

1. In a pressure cooker, heat 1 tbsp of oil over high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes until golden. Add sausage and fry for 3 minutes. Add beans and water, cover, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes after boiling begins. Turn off heat and let pressure release.
2. Add carrot, potato, salt, AJI-NO-MOTO®, and pepper. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
3. In a small skillet, heat remaining oil and add flour. Stir for 1 minute until lightly golden. Add paprika and 1 cup of soup broth.
4. Pour mixture into the soup and cook 5 more minutes until thickened.
5. Remove from heat, sprinkle parsley, and serve hot.

Switzerland: Potato Rösti
(Preparation time: 40 minutes)
Serves: 4 portions

Créditos: Comitê Umami

Ingredients

• 3 medium Asterix potatoes (600 g)
• ½ tsp salt (2.5 g)
• ½ tsp AJI-NO-MOTO® monosodium glutamate (2 g)
• 4 tbsp olive oil (60 ml)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (100 g)

Method

1. Grate potatoes using a coarse grater, add salt, and let rest in a strainer for 10 minutes. Press to remove excess liquid.
2. Add AJI-NO-MOTO® and mix.
3. Heat half the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
4. Spread half the potatoes to cover the bottom, pressing gently with a spatula.
5. Add cheese, then top with remaining potatoes. Drizzle remaining oil and press again to compact.
6. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden on both sides.
7. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
   

Tips:

• Asterix potatoes are ideal due to their low moisture content.
• To flip, cover the skillet with a large plate, invert carefully, then slide the rösti back into the skillet.

Republic of Cameroon: Jollof Rice (Rice with Meat and Vegetables)
(Preparation time: 1 hour 20 minutes)
Serves: 6 portions

Créditos: Comitê Umami

Ingredients

• 300 g beef (sirloin), cubed
• 2 pinches salt (0.8 g)
• 2 tbsp oil (30 ml)
• 2 medium onions, chopped (300 g)
• 1 tbsp grated ginger (15 g)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed (6 g)
• 1 sachet SAZÓN® beef bouillon powder
• 4 cups water (800 ml)
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped (300 g)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (30 g)
• 1½ cups rice (255 g)
• 1 small carrot, diced (120 g)
• 150 g green beans, sliced
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley (5 g)

Method

1. Season beef with 1 pinch of salt.
2. Heat half the oil in a medium pan over high heat. Brown the meat for 7 minutes. Add half the onion and sauté for 3 minutes.
3. Add half the ginger and garlic, the bouillon, and water. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 20 minutes, until meat is tender. Reserve meat and broth separately.
4. In the same pan, heat ½ tbsp oil and sauté the remaining onion for 3 minutes until golden. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, remaining salt, rice, reserved broth, ginger, and garlic. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 15 minutes, until rice is tender.
5. In another pan, heat remaining oil, add carrot and sauté for 3 minutes. Add green beans and cook for 9 minutes until al dente. Add reserved beef and parsley, mixing well.
6. Combine everything with the cooked rice and serve hot.
   

Tip: this version is lighter in color than traditional jollof rice, as it uses less tomato, which highlights the natural colors of the meat and vegetables.

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 key characteristics of umami are increased salivation and a lingering taste for a few minutes after eating. Learn more at www.portalumami.com.br.