It is impossible to say with complete certainty when this offal became desirable on the table and, moreover, scarce and high-status, but it is known for sure that peasants were forbidden to eat it; it was the privilege exclusively of gentlemen and people from high society.
Nowadays, this product is also an infrequent guest on the table, and traditionally dishes from it appear on the table on holidays. A lot of different dishes are prepared from beef tongue; it is used in first courses instead of regular meat; with its addition, salads are made, main courses and various gourmet snacks are prepared. Ready-made smoked, salted and marinated delicacies in various dressings are sold in store windows. But even without adding other ingredients, it is very tasty in itself and can be consumed as an independent product due to its rich, original taste. Beautifully chopped boiled tongue, neatly laid out on a plate with vegetables and herbs, will decorate any table.
Calorie content and composition of beef tongue
Beef tongue is valued not only for its high taste, it also has a unique composition. The product contains a balanced composition of protein, microelements, including sodium, potassium, iron, zinc and others, necessary for excellent well-being and full development of a person.
Depending on the methods of heat treatment, its calorie content changes:
- 100 grams of raw meat is approximately 173 kcal.
- Boiled will contain only 90 kcal.
- The calorie content of the stewed product will be 183 kcal.
Therefore, on a diet, it is better to eat it after cooking as a separate dish or by adding a light side dish of raw vegetables, and for heavy physical labor or intense training, it is recommended to stew it with the addition of healthy cereals.
How to treat staphylococcus
An accurate diagnosis—whether the microbe is to blame for the pathology—can be established only after laboratory analysis. It is not difficult to detect and identify it in urine samples, smears and scrapings from the skin and mucous membranes. But getting rid of the infection is much more difficult. The notorious Staphylococcus aurum (aurum) is extremely resistant to disinfectants, including bleach and brilliant green. Almost 15% of all cases of infection occur inside hospitals.
The use of antibiotics is also not always justified. For example, staphylococci adapt to penicillins very quickly. And golden has long been resistant to them, as to many other medications. To quickly suppress the activity of pathogens, combinations of various groups of drugs are used. Relatively new and effective: macrolides and fluoroquinolones. Medicines in these categories destroy and destroy the protein membranes of bacteria, not giving them time to develop resistance.
For therapy to be effective, it is important to use antimicrobial agents only as prescribed by a doctor and strictly follow the prescribed regimen. It is forbidden to interrupt the course at your own discretion, change one drug to another without permission, or adjust the dosage.
To prevent infection, general hygiene rules must be observed. It is important to avoid eating untested products, sanitize the oral cavity in a timely manner, and treat a runny nose. It is useful to harden yourself and take immunomodulators. And most importantly, do not use antimicrobial agents without good reason.
Selection of quality raw materials
No cooking method can correct the quality and taste of a stale, stale product, especially one with a “smell.” All the beneficial properties of the tongue are inherent only in fresh, high-quality meat. This is a product without signs of weathering, without spots and color unusual for meat - this is what the tongue should look like. By the way, the spots may be from the color of the animal’s tongue, but they cannot be confused with rottenness and signs of spoilage of the product.
An adult animal will have a very large tongue, but this may also be an indicator of old age. It will take a long time to cook.
More nutrients are found in the meat of an adult, but not an old animal. Veal, pork and lamb tongues are inferior in their benefits to beef, but are an alternative substitute due to their greater availability in stores and due to their lower cost.
Useful properties of the product
Due to its rich composition, the condition of the skin improves, the immune system is strengthened, and most importantly, due to the high content of complete protein, this product is almost irreplaceable in the diet of children and pregnant women. Protein is responsible for building the muscle corset and is the main building material for a growing body. Lack of protein leads to muscular dystrophy and developmental disorders of the child's body. With a lack of protein in the diet, the skin, hair, and hormonal structure suffer.
Beef tongue is useful for anemia and during recovery after illness and surgery, as it contains a lot of iron.
There is an opinion that the tongue takes a long time to prepare. This is true if you cook it in the usual way. But almost every family has a multicooker and a pressure cooker, which reduces the need to control the cooking process to a minimum; the main thing is to choose the right mode . In a multicooker, the “stew” mode is suitable, but in a pressure cooker it’s even easier, just pour a little water into the bowl, put your tongue in and turn it on to the maximum setting. However, the list of beneficial properties of the tongue outweighs the cost and time spent on preparation, since the product:
- Contains a lot of minerals, including vitamins B, PP, zinc, which is rare in meat in such quantities. Iodine, potassium, phosphorus and iron are responsible for the production of hormones and amino acids.
- Promotes the body's production of insulin, which is important for diabetics.
- Responsible for tissue regeneration in postoperative patients.
- Makes the skin elastic.
- Does not contain connective tissue, making it easier to absorb for patients with gastritis and ulcers.
- Reduces blood cholesterol.
- It is an excellent product when dieting for weight loss, as it contains a lot of protein and little fat.
Can the sense of smell and taste disappear forever?
This question cannot be answered unambiguously. In most cases, patients who have had Covid recover their sense of smell on their own. And at the same time, there are situations when we see that without medical help the sense of smell does not recover for a long time, for example, for a year after an illness. Perhaps the situation will normalize later. But since the full functioning of the olfactory system is important for the health of the entire body, we recommend taking measures to restore the sense of smell, rather than letting the process take its course.
Diseases that affect the sense of smell
Impaired sense of smell occurs not only with coronavirus infection; there are other situations that cause similar side effects.
- Inflammatory and allergic diseases of the ENT organs, when there is swelling of the mucous membrane and air access to the olfactory receptors is difficult.
- Abuse of vasoconstrictors.
- Anosmia is a genetic disease in which the olfactory bulb is absent and a person cannot smell at all.
- Severe stress.
- Initial manifestations of neurodegenerative diseases - Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease.
How to restore your sense of smell
Inna Mukhina
general practitioner, clinical aromatherapist at the Allergy and Acoustics Center (Tyumen), author of scientific articles on aromatherapy
– According to existing approaches, in case of long-term impairment of the sense of smell, it is important to consult an ENT doctor to rule out ENT pathologies, and consult a neurologist to rule out visible changes in the brain.
Among medications, according to global reviews, products containing the fat-soluble form of vitamin A are recommended.
The use of aromatherapy methods and means has gained recognition; psychophysiological exercises and olfactory breathing exercises using natural essential oils have proven themselves.
There is evidence that reflexology techniques may also be recommended.
And of course, the correct daily routine, good nutrition.
But the popular advice to include spices and spicy dishes in the diet is in reality quite controversial. If herbs and spices help you enjoy your food, add them. But you should not expect a corrective effect on the sense of smell.
Important! Exercises and gymnastics are selected individually after consultation with a doctor.
How aromatherapy works
The natural effect of special aromatherapy products allows you to solve several problems.
- Relieve swelling, which can exist for a year after a coronavirus infection.
- Eliminate foci of chronic infection.
- Influence inflammation processes in the brain and restore the balance of neurotransmitters.
Psychophysiological exercise
To begin, take some source of natural aroma that you like. This could be a piece of fruit or any spices. I don't recommend taking perfume, and don't take essential oils yet. Bring it to your nose at a distance at which you just begin to smell it, and remember this distance. Then put your scent aside, sit comfortably and close your eyes.
Let's imagine a little. Imagine a wonderful warm summer day. You are near the water. What is it - a river, sea, lake, or maybe just a small pond? Make yourself comfortable there, expose your face to the warm and gentle rays of the sun. Let them warm your face and fill your breath with warmth. Breathe in this “sunny” air, inhaling and exhaling the warmth.
With every inhalation and exhalation, the nose and forehead warm up. As you continue to inhale the warmth, sniff the air filled with summer aromas. Feel the smells of water, greenery, herbs, flowers, sniff them. You may be able to smell the special, subtle smell of the sun's rays warming your face.
Stay a little longer in this peaceful fantasy and gradually return. Stretch your whole body, take a deep breath and exhale, open your eyes.
Now take your source of smell and smell it. If you have relaxed well and created a vivid image, you will notice that you can smell the smell at a greater distance, and the smell itself is perceived differently, more brightly and voluminously.
If it doesn’t work out the first time, don’t be upset – keep training! You can try to imagine a different picture next time: a cold winter day and how you breathe in fresh and frosty air. Look for your image, that fantasy to which your sense of smell will respond, and it will begin to develop!
“Olfactory” gymnastics
From the book by S. Safonova “Scents of health, love, success. Your guide to the world of smells":
First, be sure to pay attention to the fact that your facial muscles are relaxed, or better yet, look in the mirror and smile at yourself - this way they will relax on their own. Remember some smell that you love most - this will help you get in the mood for pleasant work.
Exercise 1
. Sitting, back straight, shoulders slightly relaxed. Press your tongue to the upper palate and inhale slowly, trying to breathe from your stomach. Then, releasing your tongue, exhale slowly. Mentally count while inhaling and exhaling, making sure that the exhalation is slightly longer than the inhalation (the ideal ratio of the duration of inhalation and exhalation is 1:2). Start with one minute, gradually increase to three. The length of the exhalation is at least six seconds.
Exercise 2
. The starting position is the same. Take a deep breath, then exhale completely. Try to exhale all the air from your lungs. Exhale for at least six seconds. Lower your chin to your chest. Gently pinch your nostrils with your middle fingers, place your index fingers on your closed eyelids, and close your ears with your thumbs. Happened? Stay in this position as long as you can, then inhale gently. Do three such cycles.
Then repeat this exercise three times, holding your breath not after exhaling, but after inhaling.
Aromatherapy after Covid: how to restore your sense of smell?
Olga Irisova
physiologist, biochemist, Ph.D. PhD, specialist in restorative medicine, head of the Aromatherapy Clinic
– Aromatherapy is one of the means that doctors recommend to restore the sense of smell after Covid. But it should be especially noted that only 100% natural essential oils have healing properties. By using synthetic aromatic oils, we can get the opposite effect - for example, cause allergies, even angioedema. Therefore, initially we are talking about natural essential oils intended for therapy.
You can use essential oils in the form of cold or hot inhalations. How it works? Viruses enter the body through the respiratory channel, but there are also natural substances that penetrate us through the olfactory system and remove the damaging effects of viruses. The most famous of these substances are phytoncides, volatile compounds found in natural essential oils.
How to properly cook and clean beef tongue
There are several ways to cook a tongue.
First way
If the tongue is cooked for slicing, then pre-boiled water is poured into the pan, the tongue is put in, everything is brought to a boil and cooked over reduced heat for 10-15 minutes. Then the water in which the tongue was boiled is drained, clean boiling water is poured in, and cooked until ready. This is done so that, along with foam, unpleasant odors and dirt located on the rough surface of the hard skin of the product are removed from the tongue. During cooking, and the cooking time, depending on the weight and age of the animal, can reach up to 3 hours, you should monitor the water level so that it does not boil away, and add boiling water if necessary.
How to properly clean your tongue
Step-by-step instructions for cleaning the product are as follows:
- Raw reeds need to be cleaned of dirt and mucus. It is advisable to pre-soak the offal in cold water; you can leave it overnight.
- Anything that gets wet should be cleaned off with a knife, scraping off the plaque and removing any remaining meat and salivary glands at the root.
- Rinse before storing in clean running water.
- Place in a saucepan, add boiling water and bring to a boil.
- Remove the foam, boil for 15 minutes and remove if the semi-finished product will be peeled at this stage. If it will be cleaned at the end of cooking, then reduce the heat, remembering to remove the foam with a slotted spoon, and simmer at a barely noticeable boil until done.
- If the skin is cleaned after preliminary boiling, then you should transfer the meat to cold water and wait until the moment when you can pick it up with your hand.
- Peel off the skin. It will have a white tint and easily move away from the main mass when prying it with a knife.
- If necessary, finish cooking by pouring clean boiling water and adding spices to taste.
Cleaning raw tongue before cooking
As already written above, it is simpler and easier to remove the skin from an already boiled product. But if you plan to fry or stew a delicacy, then long-term preliminary heat treatment is unacceptable. In this case, cleaning is performed according to the following scheme:
- prepare the tongue for cooking (as described above);
- lower it into boiling water for 2-3 minutes;
- place in a bowl or other container with very cold water for 1-1.5 minutes;
- prying the surface layer with a fork or knife, remove all the skin.
In some cases, it is necessary to lower the tongue into boiling water again.
Meat cleaned in this way is considered completely raw. Then it can be salted, pickled, fried or baked.
There is another way to clean raw pork tongue. Its technology is based on the use of cold. The purchased offal must be washed, but not soaked. Next, wrap it in a clean bag and place it in the freezer for a short time - only the top layer should be frozen.
Using a thin and sharp knife, pry off the skin (the flesh should remain intact);
To prevent the product from slipping out of your hands, you can hold it by the edge with a waffle towel.
The surface layer must be separated in a spiral, otherwise it will tear into pieces, which will make the cleaning process longer and more labor-intensive.
Cleaned pork offal can be stored in the refrigerator for at least 2 days, therefore, when preparing for the celebration, it is allowed to prepare it in advance.
