Why is sushi so yummy?
There is a scientific explanation for why sushi is so delicious, if you’ve ever tried it. Known as the “fifth savory taste,” umami is a term you may not be familiar with. The Japanese word “Umai,” which means delicious, is the origin of the phrase. We find food to be more delicious the more umami there is in it. There are currently three types of umami:
By the way, glutamate, inosinate, and guanylate all multiply. Any of these will provide you with a satisfying savory flavor. Without including soy sauce, however, we taste umami in the food three, four, or five times more when there are two kinds of umami present than when there is only one.
Related: Food For The Gut: Sushi
Why is sushi so addictive?
Sushi is delicious. It’s enjoyable to eat. It’s simple to create. And it’s not difficult to come up with an excuse to order it. But did you realize there’s more to it than you think? Before we dive into the science, I’ll list the 10 common ones first.
- It’s the perfect pre-drinking meal and…
- Another reason to drink.
- It makes you appear refined & cultured
- You get full faster.
- Sushi spots are everywhere
- There’s always a flavor for everyone.
- It’s socially acceptable to use your hands, and some even claim it’s the ‘correct’ way.
- No matter how much you eat, you can still eat again in about an hour.
- Sushi rolls doesn’t equal stomach rolls.
- Dessert isn’t really necessary
The science behind cravings
In general, a liver that is overheating and needs to be cooled down can be the source of cravings for sushi. Seaweed and cucumber are two foods that can provide the liver with this support. For instance, the liver requests a break if you have recently consumed foods that are difficult to digest, like wheat, dairy, meats, starches, and sugars. Sushi is simple for your body to digest and can be very hydrating, especially when made with low-mercury white fish.
Hunger and Cravings are Different Sensations
The former is controlled by the body, whereas the latter is controlled by the mind and specific hormones such as leptin and ghrelin. Hunger provides a more practical role by alerting our brains that it is time to eat. The vagus nerve is the vagabond nerve that sends information from the body to the brain across the distance between the stomach and the brain.
Cravings sometimes correspond to what your sensitive and perceptive organs may be needing. Leptin is first expelled by fat tissues. This chemical signals to our brains that we can stop eating because our bodies are satisfied. The hypothalamus also keeps an eye on our blood sugar and insulin levels to make sure we’ve eaten enough to restore those levels. After finishing a substantial meal, we might feel uncomfortable full because this process doesn’t happen right away.
Dopamine is another neurotransmitter that is released in the body when we want pleasure. It is released as a reward for satisfying food cravings and has been compared to drug addiction since both actions follow similar brain pathways. Psychological variables can also have an impact on the degree and form of our food cravings. Mood research has discovered that our emotional state has a stronger impact on cravings than hunger.
Why do we like Raw Fish?
As a result of the fish’s muscles not having to work as hard as those of land animals, raw salmon and tuna have soft, creamy textures. But why are so many of us completely content to eat uncooked birds, cows, or pigs but not so content to eat raw sea creatures? According to biophysicist Ole Mouritsen, author of Sushi: Food for the Eye, the Body, and the Soul, a large part of it is gravity or the apparent lack of it in the ocean.
Although tuna can swim a great distance, their muscles are still delicate and soft. Fish are very tender. He claims that you can poke a finger through their muscles. Try it with a cow or a chicken. The muscle of fish is very dissimilar from that of land animals. Why? because fish have more room for laziness than animals on land. In a sense, fish always float. Thus, they do not constantly contract their muscles to defy gravity.
Fish don’t support their body weight
Says Mouritsen. Consequently, compared to those land animals, their muscle fibers are shorter and less durable. The connective tissue that binds the muscle fibers together is the same. It is fragile and frail. The outcome? When fish is raw, it has a silky, smooth texture, and when it’s cooked, it has a flaky, light texture. In contrast, Mouritsen claims that because land animals like us are constantly working to maintain their balance and shape, our muscle fibers are thicker, tougher, and firmer.
When the flesh is raw, the texture is ropy, chewy, and less appealing. Cooking softens and improves the texture of meat by softening the connective tissue (it also makes it juicy and flavorful). In general, the more a muscle works, the tougher and more sinuous it becomes, according to Mouritsen’s book. This theory explains why tuna belly, often known as otoro, is so soft. The fish’s belly is the most sluggish of all its muscles.
Hanaya Sushi
Hanaya Hibachi Sushi and Asian Fusion is a restaurant committed to providing its customers with good food since they opened their doors in June 2017 in Flower Mound, TX. So if you are looking for quality sushi, browse Hanaya’s sushi menu here.