Chef Recommends 5 Tasty Dishes from Asian Cuisine

Specialist explains the common characteristic among typical Asian dishes

April 2021 – With unique characteristics and a long history, Asian cuisine brings together traditional dishes famous for their color, aroma, striking flavor, and appearance. The dishes show perfect balance and stand out for the use of foods that provide umami taste, such as mushrooms, tomatoes, and fish.

Chef and nutritionist from the Umami Committee, Lisiane Miura, explains that the specific choice of these ingredients in preparation is what delivers the irresistible taste of the recipes. “Umami is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, alongside sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. And Asian cuisine is capable of combining all tastes in a single preparation,” she emphasizes.

For those who want to travel without leaving home, just by enjoying traditional meals, Lisiane has prepared a list of delicious options. Check them out:

Japan

Miso-shiru is one of the best-known soups in Japanese cuisine and very popular in Brazil. It is made with miso, a cooked and fermented soybean paste, along with kombu seaweed and dried smoked fish (katsuobushi), which help boost umami taste in the preparation. “This traditional Japanese soup may include additions such as wakame seaweed and tofu cubes. Since it contains umami foods like seaweed and fish, it stimulates salivation and provides benefits to digestion and the body,” highlights the chef.

China

Cooked in a broth, hot pot includes slices of meat, seafood, and vegetables. Usually, it is possible to choose the flavor of the broth, such as mushroom, tomato, original, or spicy. “This option promotes a greater gustatory experience, as the items in the recipe are true flavor enhancers,” says Lisiane.

Korea

Kimchi is a traditional preserve widely consumed in Korean culture. “This recipe is marked by the fermentation process the foods undergo. It is prepared with seasoned and spiced napa cabbage, along with other ingredients typical of umami, such as radish, gochujang (a red chili paste), and fish sauce. It is a flavor explosion,” she comments.

Thailand

Rice is also a great protagonist of Eastern cuisine. In the preparation of pad thai, very popular in Thailand, it is no different. This fried rice noodle dish is one of the country’s most famous street foods. “It can be made with chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu, peanuts, scrambled eggs, bean sprouts, fish sauce (nam pla), and tamarind paste. The result is a harmonious meal with a unique, complex flavor that is very rich in umami,” emphasizes Lisiane.

Vietnam

One of the most representative dishes of Vietnamese cuisine is pho, a rice noodle soup. “This specialty features a broth made from beef bones, ginger, onion, spices, and fish sauce (nam pla), which gives an intense umami taste. The soup can be served with additions such as beef or shrimp, along with seasonings like onion, lime, and fresh herbs,” concludes Lisiane.

Umami

Umami 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 in 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 the continuation of taste for a few minutes after food ingestion. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br.