Monday, 9 January 2012

... on basic flavors

Flavor is the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. The "trigeminal senses" ((the trigeminal nerve (the fifth cranial nerve, also called CN5) contains both sensory and motor fibers. It is responsible for sensation in the face and certain motor functions such as biting, chewing, and swallowing)), which detect chemical irritants in the mouth and throat as well as temperature and texture.




Of the three chemical senses, smell is the main determinant of a food item's flavor. While the taste of food is limited to sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami (savory) – the basic tastes – the smells of a food are potentially limitless. A food's flavor, therefore, can be easily altered by changing its smell while keeping its taste similar.
While every ingredient has more than one flavor, understanding an ingredient’s dominant flavor will allow you to use it when you want, for example, sweetness in a dish without relying too heavily on sugar. This list offers other appropriate ingredients you might incorporate to add saltiness or sweetness. And consider the variety of options for adding sourness or bitterness to a dish. Doing so can lead to deeper, more complex flavors. Below I give a shortened version; the complete list will be in my book “Cooking the Elements.” 

Sweet
Bananas
Carrots
Cinnamon
Dates
Figs
Honey
Maple syrup
Onions
Vanilla

Bitter
Almonds
Coffee
Cumin
Fenugreek
Caraway
Ginger
Saffron
Sage
Quinine

Salty
Anchovies
Salami
Salt
Sardines
Sun – dried tomatoes
Tapenade

Sour
Grapefruits
Lemons
Sorrel
Sour Cream
Sumac
Tamarind

Sweet/sour
Apples
Pomegranates

Sour/salty
Salt & lemon

Bitter/salty
Olives

Hot
Cayenne
Paprika
Pepper

Pungent
Allspice

Bitter/sweet
Cassia
Chocolate, dark

Bitter/hot
Cloves

Allspice
Curry
Nutmeg

Anchovy
Capers
Sage

Basil
Olive oil
Oregano
Saffron
Thyme

Capers
Anchovy
Horseradish
Mustard

Caramel
Brandy
Chocolate

Caraway
Dill
Garlic

Cardamom
Curry

Cayenne
Fresh coriander

Chervil
Parsley
Tarragon

Chiles
Fresh coriander
Garlic
Ginger

Chives
Dill

Chocolate
Spices

Fresh coriander
Chiles
Coriander seeds
Garlic
Oregano

Cinnamon
Cloves
Ginger
Sugar

Cloves
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Saffron

Coriander seeds
Parsley
Cumin
Chiles
Garlic
Saffron

Dill
Caraway
Chives
Parsley

Fennel
Basil
Olives
Oregano

Fenugreek
Garlic
Red pepper

Garlic
Chives
Fresh coriander
Cumin
Mustard
Olive oil
Oregano

Ginger
Allspice
Chives
Cumin
Curry leaves
Fennel

Horseradish
Capers
Dill

Juniper berries
Allspice
Oregano
Pepper, black

Lavender
Garlic

Lemongrass
Chiles
Peppers
Onions

Mint
Basil
Chocolate
Fresh coriander

Mustard
Capers
Fennel

Nigella
Allspice
Oregano
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Cloves
Ginger

Oregano
Basil
Thyme
Fresh coriander
Nutmeg

Parsley
Basil
Chervil
Dill

Rosemary
Garlic
Oregano
Thyme

Saffron
Basil
Fennel
Garlic
Parsley

Sage
Anchovy
Rosemary
Thyme

Sorrel
Chives
Thyme

Star anise
Cinnamon

Szechuan pepper
Cinnamon
Ginger

Tamarind
Curry

Tarragon
Garlic
Chervil

Thyme
Basil
Dill
Oregano
Sage

Turmeric
Mustard

Vanilla
Cinnamon
Coconut
Rum

No comments:

Post a Comment