Umami makes the June festival even tastier | Press

A star at this time of year, corn brings umami to typical Festa Junina dishes.

June 2018 – Bonfires, dancing, plaid outfits… the June festivals have begun! Traditional in Brazil, the history of this celebration brings together two strong cultures of the country: the Indigenous peoples, who celebrated agriculture and nature’s gifts with dancing and an abundant table, and the Portuguese, who added a religious character by honoring Saint Anthony, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Peter.

In addition to its traditional games, the “arraiá” also features special recipes. The season’s leading ingredient, corn appears in dishes such as canjica (hominy pudding), curau (sweet corn custard), cakes, cornbread, and many others. Versatile and flavorful, this cereal is responsible for giving recipes umami—one of the five basic tastes of the human palate, alongside sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.

To make your party even more delicious, the Umami Committee has prepared a savory corn cake recipe—an excellent choice to surprise your guests and enjoy the festivities with friends. Best of all, it’s quick and easy—ready in just 45 minutes.

Pick your games, bunting, and typical treats—and have fun!

SAVORY CORN CAKE

INGREDIENTS

• 4 eggs (180 g)
• 1 teaspoon salt (5 g)
• 2 cups milk (400 ml)
• ½ cup unsalted margarine (100 g)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (110 g)
• 1½ cups fine cornmeal (fubá) (195 g)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder (12 g)
• 200 g coalho cheese, diced

METHOD

1. In a stand mixer bowl, add the egg whites with a pinch of salt and beat until foamy.
2. Add the yolks, milk, margarine, and the remaining salt; continue beating until smooth.
3. Transfer to a bowl and gently fold in the flour, cornmeal, and baking powder.
4. Pour into a greased and floured rectangular pan (30 × 20 cm), scatter the coalho cheese over the top, and bake in a preheated moderate oven (180 °C / 350 °F) for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Tips:

1. If you don’t have a mixer, use a blender to combine all ingredients except the flour, cornmeal, and baking powder; fold those in gently by hand.
2. If you like, add bits of smoked, pan-fried calabrese sausage to the batter.

Yield: 8 servings

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 the persistence of taste for a few minutes after eating. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br and follow facebook.com/ogostoumami and instagram.com/ogostoumami.