New year, new life: bet on mushrooms! | Press

Discover the benefits of this food and learn the recipe for Creamy Rice with Shimeji.

São Paulo, January 2017 – The first month of 2017 is already coming to an end, but it’s always a good time for new plans, wishes, and learnings. As every year brings culinary trends and diets, the Umami Committee has an important tip: bet on mushrooms! Although widely used in global cuisine, this tasty ingredient only started appearing more often in Brazilian dishes in recent years, thanks to new findings about its nutritional properties and benefits.

Most mushrooms—such as button, shimeji, and shiitake—contain no fat and are great allies for reducing cholesterol. They’re sources of vitamins (A and B) and zinc—which supports healthy nail and hair growth, among other things. In addition, mushrooms provide the umami taste, whose two main characteristics are a lingering flavor and increased salivation. This latter effect brings benefits such as improved food acceptance in children and older adults and contributes to oral hygiene. Umami also helps with protein digestion, as its receptors are found not only on the tongue but also in the stomach.

To kick off 2017 with more health and quality of life, check out this umami recipe:

Creamy Rice with Shimeji

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted margarine (60 g)
• 1 small onion, grated (30 g)
• 1/2 cup diced bacon (50 g)
• 1 cup uncooked parboiled rice (200 g)
• 2 cups boiling water (400 ml)
• 1 tsp salt (3 g)
• 2 cups chopped shimeji (200 g)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (150 g)

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of margarine and heat over high until melted.
2. Add the onion and bacon and sauté for 3 minutes, or until golden.
3. Stir in the rice, water, and half the salt; cook over medium heat, half-covered, for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the remaining margarine over medium heat.
5. Add the shimeji and remaining salt, and sauté for 3 minutes, or until wilted.
6. Add the mushrooms and their juices to the rice and cook, half-covered, for 3 more minutes, or until the liquid evaporates.
7. Remove from heat, add the cream, and fold gently.
8. Cover and rest for 5 minutes; serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes

Chef’s tip: Replace bacon with smoked turkey breast, and the heavy cream with light cream cheese spread.
Note: Fresh mushrooms such as shimeji are an excellent alternative to canned mushrooms, which tend to be high in sodium.

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.