Do you crave sweet treats? Or does a sour apple make you smile? For some, salty or bitter indulgences make the taste buds sing. But, did you know there's yet another taste to experience?
Welcome to the world of umami.
This little known flavor is what parmesan cheese, asparagus, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed and grilled fish are made of. Umami is described as a savory taste experience, according to Dr. Andrew Weil. Glutamate, an amino acid, is responsible for the flavor.
Me? I'm a sweets gal, with a touch of salt. My favorite indulgence is homemade caramels covered in chocolate topped with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. (Now, I know that's not nutritious, but I am human. I'm not healthy every minute of every day!)
So, when it's time for a splurge--which taste makes you drool? Please comment below!
Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!
Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living
PS: Want to read more about nutrition, beauty and health? I write and post daily on Facebook and Twitter!
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| Sushi. Photo courtesy Morguefile. |
Welcome to the world of umami.
This little known flavor is what parmesan cheese, asparagus, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed and grilled fish are made of. Umami is described as a savory taste experience, according to Dr. Andrew Weil. Glutamate, an amino acid, is responsible for the flavor.
Me? I'm a sweets gal, with a touch of salt. My favorite indulgence is homemade caramels covered in chocolate topped with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. (Now, I know that's not nutritious, but I am human. I'm not healthy every minute of every day!)
So, when it's time for a splurge--which taste makes you drool? Please comment below!
Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!
Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living
PS: Want to read more about nutrition, beauty and health? I write and post daily on Facebook and Twitter!
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Ben & Jerry's for me :)
ReplyDeleteYum! That is a close second for me too! ~Angela
DeleteI'll select the sushi and sushimi in your picture any time. De--lic--ious.
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That's a super healthy choice! Good for you! If I did the umami flavor, I'd choose mushrooms! ~Angela
DeleteLove, love, love sushi!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Jolie!
DeleteI am totally guilty of alternating salt and sweet, which allows me to tolerate a bit more of each! Great word! Enjoy the rest of your A to Z-ing!
ReplyDeleteMe too! Thanks for stopping by! Happy A to Z! ~Angela
DeleteI rarely mix sweet and salt in a regular meal. It just seems wrong. So, not much for a lot of the sweet oriental dishes. Can't eat seafood because of allergies and I'm a true veggie head anyway, nothing with a face or a mother. I'm not THAT good, though. Salted caramel is wonderful stuff. But dark chocolate with almond, walnuts or macadamia nuts is the one thing I can't resist. MMMMM....and if I don't go crazy, it's good for me too. Win win.
ReplyDeleteOh! I also have a weakness for dark chocolate with nuts. Yum!! ~Angela
DeleteAnything sweet works for me. At a Chocolate Fest, I ate a shaved beef sandwich covered with melted chocolate! I've never heard of Umani, though. Thank you for sharing this information.
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Woah! Chocolate on meat? That sounds crazy! But then again I guess the "cool food" at the state fair a few years back was chocolate-covered bacon, so maybe... Thanks for stopping by! ~Angela
DeleteI know that I've tried it with my sister. She's a huge sushi fan and has gotten me to sample several kinds. There have only been a few which I found edible but cannot remember if this was one of them. :)
ReplyDeleteI am a salty/savory/green flavor kinda girl. I know...;)
Peanut butter and chocolate! Yum!!!!
ReplyDeleteDouble yum!
DeleteI'm interested in your homemade caramels recipe. I've tried several and they never turn out the way I want them to. They're either too soft or too hard. Are yours the happy medium??
ReplyDeleteHi Joy! Yes, mine turn out great if you cook them for the right amount of time and temperature.
DeleteCaramels
1-1 lb. box of brown sugar (or I use raw cane sugar)
1 cup butter
1 cup Karo white corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp of vanilla
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan on low heat on the stove. Slowly add the sugar and salt, stirring continually until they melt into the butter. Add Karo syrup. Stir well. Add Sweetened condensed milk. Stir well.
Use a candy thermometer to bring the mixture to 250 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes once it comes to temperature. Keep stirring. I test the caramel by dropping a spoonful into a glass of ice cold water. when a soft ball forms, I stop cooking the caramel. If the mixture just falls apart, you'll have caramel sauce. If the test gives you a hard piece, you've overcooked the caramel/will have hard candy. I do several tests. The texture of the caramel in the cold water is what you'll get once the mixture cools.
When it's ready, pour the mixture in a greased pan. Let it cool, then cut into small squares. Wrap each piece in wax paper and keep in the refrigerator. I melt some down in the microwave when I want caramel sauce for ice cream, etc. Enjoy! ~Angela
Shrimp, no matter how it is cooked, is always drool-worthy in my opinion. I also love peanut butter and dark chocolate. Also, I love salty and sweet together.
DeleteIn general, I just love food. :)
I hope that you have a great night!
Stopping by to say hello! The homemade caramels sound yummy.
ReplyDeleteThey are decadent--and not healthy! But, hey, it's ok to splurge on occasion! YUM! ~Angela
DeleteI love chocolate covered nuts and peanuts. There is something about the sweet richness combined with a little saltiness that makes all of me happy!
ReplyDeleteMe too! Especially almonds covered in dark chocolate...oh man....YUM!
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