Seasoning and Flavoring Food Std Explain the process of taste and flavor.

Seasonings ● Seasonings are ingredients you add to a food to improve its flavor, without changing it significantly ● Added in such small quantities that you usually cannot taste the individual seasoning ingredients, but just enough to improve the overall flavor ● Seasonings enhance natural taste ● Becomes more intense or noticeable (ex: adding salt to pasta water) ● Seasonings balance taste ● Helps to overcome strong tastes such as sour, sweet, and bitter (ex: adding sugar to a dish with lemon juice)

Seasonings ● Types of Seasonings ● Salt ● Salt is found underground where it is mined ● Most widely used seasoning (in all cuisines and in all countries) ● Added before, during, and after cooking ● Naturally salty foods such as bacon, soy sauce, parmesan cheese, and olives also can season a dish ● Common types include: ● Table salt ● Sea salt ● Kosher salt ● Rock salt ● MSG (not actually salt but acts similarly)

Seasonings ● Types of Seasonings ● Pepper ● Actually a spice that is used in small amounts as a seasoning ● Only black and white pepper used as seasonings and compliment salt ● 2 nd most common seasoning in the world ● Sugar ● Enhances the flavor of dishes when used a little at a time as not to overtake the dish (ex: sugar added to tomato sauce) ● Acids ● Citrus juices, vinegar, and wines are all acids used to season foods ● Acids have a sour or tart flavor ● They can improve the appearance and texture of a food as well as the flavor (ex: lemon juice to apples, vinegar to poached eggs)

Flavorings ● Flavorings are ingredients you add to a food to change its flavor in some way: ● Changing the flavor altogether ● Layering flavors – adding a flavor on top of other flavors to create a new pleasing combination ● Many ingredients or combinations of ingredients can be used to add flavor ● Each ingredient must be added at a specific time and in a specific manner to reach the desired flavor within the dish

Herbs, Spices, and Aromatics ● Herbs are leaves and stems of certain plants ● Some are sweet and some are savory ● Certain herbs or combination of herbs are associated with particular cuisines ● Basil and oregano = _______ cuisine ? ● Italian ● Tarragon and chives = ______ cuisine ? ● French ● Cilantro and parsley = ______ cuisine ? ● Chinese ● Oregano and mint = ______ cuisine? ● Greek

Herbs, Spices, and Aromatics ● Herbs ● Fresh herbs have intense flavor that weaken with age ● Store fresh herbs in the fridge and use within a few days ● Also sold dried or ground ●Common herbs are: ●Basil ●Bay leaf ●Chervil ●Chives ●Cilantro ●Dill ●Lemongrass ●Mint ●Marjoram ●Oregano ●Parsley ●Rosemary ●Sage ●Savory ●Thyme ●Tarragon

Herbs, Spices, and Aromatics ● Spices are the seeds, bark, roots, stalks, or fruits of certain plants ● Considered aromatic ingredients that are added in small amounts to give a specific flavor ● Whole spices last longer than ground spices ● Spices are often used to flavor oils and vinegars, which are then used to flavor dishes ● Did you know? ● In the middle ages, spices such as cloves, saffron, and cinnamon were highly prized and only used if you had high wealth

Herbs, Spices, and Aromatics ● Spice Blends ● Made by combining a variety of spices and sometimes herbs ● Common blends include: ● Curry powder ● Chili powder ● Poultry seasoning ● Pumpkin pie spice ●Common spices are: ●Allspice ●Caraway seeds ●Cardamom ●Cinnamon ●Cloves ●Cumin ●Fennel ●Ginger ●Mustard ●Nutmeg ●Mace ●Peppercorns ●Peppers ●Saffron

Herbs, Spices, and Aromatics ● Other aromatic ingredients include 3 types: ● Vegetables and fruits ● Plants in the onion family: garlic, green onions, leeks ● Mushrooms and celery also have a pleasing aroma ● Plants that are fruits: citrus zest and juices as well as dried fruits ● Tomatoes: are they a fruit or a vegetable? ● Liquids ● Broths and stocks ● Wines, brandies, and liqueurs ● Flavorful oils ● Extracts

Herbs, Spices, and Aromatics ● Cured and smoked foods ● Foods that are dried, salted, pickled, or smoked are also used to add savory flavor to a dish ● Bacon ● Ham ● Salted anchovies

Herbs, Spices, and Aromatics ● Mirepoix ● The combination of vegetables used as an aromatic flavoring in many dishes ● Standard mirepoix = onion, carrot, celery ● White mirepoix = leeks/onion, parsnips, celery ● Cajun trinity = onion, celery, green pepper ● Matignon = onions, carrots, celery, ham ● Battuto = cooking fat, garlic, onions, parsley, carrots, celery

Condiments ● Condiments are prepared mixtures we use to season and flavor foods ● Change flavor by adding spicy, savory, sweet, sour, salty, or umami tastes to food ● Can also add color, texture, or temperature contrast to a dish ● Typically served on the side as something extra to be added by the diner to suit his/her unique taste preference ● Can be used as ingredients in preparation