Onion-Topped Carne de Sol to celebrate Northeasterners’ Day | Press

São Paulo, October 2016 – Ariano Suassuna, Luiz Gonzaga, Antônio Conselheiro, Zumbi dos Palmares, and many others. Names like these make clear the strength and importance of Brazil’s Northeast in the country’s cultural and historical formation. In tribute to Brazilians born in this region, Northeasterners’ Day was created, celebrated on October 8.

Covering about 18% of the country’s territory, Brazil’s Northeast is made up of nine states—Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Piauí, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, and Sergipe—and offers the rest of Brazil a very rich gastronomy.

To honor typical Northeastern cuisine, the Umami Committee has prepared a special recipe: Carne de Sol with Onions. Very famous in the region, the dish features umami—one of the five basic tastes of the human palate—in a pronounced way. In this preparation, umami is very present in the carne de sol (Brazilian cured beef) and also in the onion, bringing increased salivation and a lingering flavor—hallmark characteristics of this taste.

Besides being flavorful, umami helps improve food acceptance, aids in protein digestion, and supports oral health, among many other benefits.

Check out the recipe:

Carne de Sol with Onions

Ingredients:

• 600 g carne de sol (Brazilian cured/salted beef)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, cut into pieces

Method of preparation

1. Cut the meat into large pieces, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. As soon as it boils, drain the boiling water and replace with cold water. Bring back to a boil and keep changing the water each time it boils, until the excess salt is removed from the meat.
3. Shred the meat, removing any fat.
4. In a skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onion without letting it brown.
5. Add the meat and stir well to rehydrate it.
6. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes

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. Umami’s two main characteristics are increased salivation and a lingering taste for a few minutes after eating. To learn more, visit portalumami.com.br.