A puree is a paste that is made from crushing, mashing and grinding various foods . The term in our language comes from the French word purée .
For example: “Tonight we are going to have spinach fritters with mashed sweet potatoes for dinner” , “The nutritionist recommended that I include pumpkin puree in my diet” , “If you want to prepare a delicious sauce, buy a can of tomato puree, add a few olives and season with salt, pepper and paprika .
Puree as a technique
Puree can be considered a gastronomic technique and its result. The notion refers to something that has a particular texture and a certain thickness and that is generally used to accompany some solid food.
Take the case of mashed potatoes , also known as mashed potatoes . To make this puree, you first need to boil the potatoes in water and salt until they become soft. Then you must step on the potatoes, crushing them until you create a homogeneous paste . Typically, while the potatoes are mashed, various ingredients are added, either to modify the texture or add flavors. It is very common for mashed potatoes to include a little milk (either vegetable or animal), pepper, nutmeg and butter.
Although mashed potatoes are the most common, this technique can be applied to all types of vegetables, such as pumpkin, sweet potato, pumpkin, pepper and onion, but also to fruits such as apples and bananas. This variety , in turn, is combined with the infinite complexity that each person wants to give it in terms of the number of ingredients and intermediate processes, such as cooking and preserving methods.
Its link with the digestive system
When a person has a bad stomach or is on bed rest to recover from an illness , puree is usually one of the common dishes in their diet. Since various physical disorders can negatively affect the digestive system, puree is ideal in these situations since it does not require great effort to process.
Puree is not only suitable when there are problems in the digestive system , but it is also beneficial for those people who have dental problems or infections in the mouth, whether temporary or permanent. For example, individuals who have lost several teeth and who, for reasons of money, cannot undergo the relevant treatment to recover the original appearance of their mouth, cannot chew the hardest foods , nor can children in the most delicate moments. of the change in his teeth.
The puree, from the simple to the complex
It is important to note that puree has the special characteristic of being a dish present in all types of settings, from academic to homemade , largely due to the aforementioned variety of ingredients and processes it supports. Likewise, it is usually the first meal for children, once they stop breastfeeding , since they still do not have well-formed teeth to handle solid foods.
Although it is common for puree to be considered an accompaniment, it is also part of more complex dishes , which are usually called cakes ; For example, it is possible to sauté vegetables and soy, place it in a deep container and cover it with mashed potatoes, put it in the oven and enjoy a delicious and nutritious dish that takes advantage of this technique to avoid the use of dough.
Symbolic use of the term
In a symbolic sense, the expression “mash” is used to name the action of destroying something .
“It was coming at such a high speed that, when it hit the wall, it became puree.”, “I dropped the glass and it turned into puree.”y “The boxer assured that he will beat his rival to a pulp” son expresiones que muestran esta acepción.