Creamy Cod: an Umami Recipe to Celebrate Easter with the Family | Press

São Paulo, April 2017 – For everyone who thinks Easter is all about chocolate eggs, it’s worth paying attention to the main dish at most meals during this time of year: fish. There are many combinations that feature this ingredient, so to help you decide and nail the family menu, the Umami Committee’s tip is the famous Creamy Cod.

Besides being tasty and very nutritious, cod offers two features that are highly beneficial to the human body: omega-3 fatty acids—which help produce hormones and reduce cholesterol—and umami, one of the five basic tastes of the human palate. The latter improves food acceptance among children and older adults, and helps with protein digestion and oral hygiene. Check out the recipe:

Creamy Cod

Ingredients

• Potato (300 g)
• Kombu seaweed (1 piece, 15 cm)
• Onion (100 g)
• Tomato (100 g)
• Olive oil (as needed)
• Desalted cod (300 g)

Directions

1. Peel and cook the potatoes with the kombu until very tender.
2. While still hot, press the potatoes through a sieve and set the purée aside.
3. Slice the onion and tomato into thin rounds.
4. In a baking dish, drizzle a little olive oil over the bottom and arrange the onion slices to cover the base.
5. Layer the tomato slices over the onion, then place the cod on top.
6. Finish with the potato purée spread over the top.
7. When ready to bake, drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cod is cooked through.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 50 minutes

UMAMI

It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by the 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.