Enjoy the benefits of umami at Christmas dinner | Press

Too much food? The umami taste is an ally in the digestion process.

São Paulo, December 2016 – The most festive time of the year is approaching. With December’s arrival, all eyes turn to Christmas, when the whole family gathers. Year-end celebrations are always filled with love, peace, and food… lots of food. With such abundance, it’s important to offer guests a healthy, balanced menu. That’s when umami—one of the five basic tastes of the human palate—becomes a great ally.

Christmas dinner is full of foods that deliver the umami taste. For example, starters such as chicken salad, melon with prosciutto, and tomato salads—especially cherry tomatoes. The list of main courses includes meats like turkey, pork loin, and holiday ham, plus giblet stuffing, among others. “For what many consider the best part—dessert—you can also find umami in cheese with guava paste, queijadinha (coconut-cheese custard tart), cheesecake, and even green tea crème brûlée,” says Priscila Andrade, nutritionist at the Umami Committee.

On occasions when overeating is common, umami can be the ideal partner to help guests avoid going overboard. “A good option is to serve salads with tomatoes and cheese shavings or a vegetable broth before the main meal. Because they provide umami, these foods can help create a sense of satiety, which curbs overindulgence in richer dishes or desserts,” notes Priscila.

The benefits of umami range from increased saliva production—which not only aids swallowing but also serves as a barrier against viruses and bacteria that may be present in certain foods—to protecting the stomach. That’s because glutamate—the amino acid responsible for umami—helps digest highly protein-rich foods, such as the meats served as main courses. When these substances come into contact with the stomach lining, they act directly on the vagus nerve, which sends signals to the brain indicating that proteins need to be digested. This triggers the release of gastric juice in the stomach, facilitating digestion. “At the same time, there’s renewal of intestinal cells, which use glutamate as an energy source for recovery in cases such as foodborne intoxications,” concludes the nutritionist.

To complete your Christmas feast, the Umami Committee shares a recipe for Holiday Ham with Yogurt–Mustard Sauce. Check it out:

Holiday Ham with Yogurt–Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 ball-shaped tender ham (about 1 kg)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 15 whole cloves
• 1 cup orange juice (200 ml)
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips (80 g)

Sauce

• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp salt
• A pinch of black pepper

Directions

1. Place the ham in a small roasting pan. Rub the entire surface with the butter, stud with the cloves, and pour the orange juice over it. Cover with foil and bake in a hot oven (220°C / 425°F) for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and brown for 10 minutes more.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: in a bowl, combine the garlic, lemon juice, mustard, yogurt, salt, and black pepper. Mix well and refrigerate until serving.
3. Remove the ham from the oven, slice, garnish with the sun-dried tomatoes, and serve with the sauce on the side.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep time: 40 minutes (+ 30 minutes in the oven)
Chef’s tip: Due to dehydration, sun-dried tomatoes contain glutamate in a more concentrated form, enhancing umami.

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.