CUUL 1000

1. On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary
Fundamentals
Sixth Edition
Chapter 7
Flavors and Flavorings
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Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you will be able to
7.1 Explain the basic physiology of the senses of taste and
smell
7.2 Describe how flavoring ingredients can create, enhance
or alter the natural flavors of a dish
7.3 Identify a variety of herbs, spices, salt, oils, vinegars,
condiments, alcoholic beverages and other flavorings
7.4 Describe the flavor principles in a variety of
international cuisines

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Flavor and Taste
• The combination of tastes, aromas and other sensations
caused by the presence of a foreign substance in the
mouth
• Flavor is to food what hue is to color and what timbre is to
music

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Taste: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter,
Umami
• Taste is the sensations we detect when a substance
comes in contact with the taste buds on the tongue
– Sweet
– Sour
– Salt
– Bitter
– Umami

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The Human Olfactory System
• Once we place a substance in our mouth, the aromas are delivered
through the retronasal path. Olfactory neurons at the top of the
nasal cavity are clustered together in the olfactory bulb.

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The Human Tongue
• Taste buds, specialized sensory organs, are found on the
tongue within three different kinds of small bumps, known as
papillae, as well as the back of the throat and the roof of the
mouth.

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Factors Affecting Flavor Perception
• Temperature
• Consistency
• Presence of contrasting tastes
• Presence of fat
• Color

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Compromises to the Perception of
Taste
• Age
• Health
• Smoking

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Flavoring Foods
• Start with simple combinations of ingredients.
• Select fresh foods that in season whenever possible.
• Match the flavoring used to both the ingredient and
cooking technique.
• Preparation techniques also impact the flavor of foods.
The size of the cut affects the perception of the taste and
texture of a vegetable.
• The temperature of foods impacts taste perception of
their flavors.

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Flavoring
• An item that adds a new taste to food and alters its
natural flavors
• Flavorings include herbs, spices, vinegars and
condiments

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Seasoning
• An item added to enhance the natural flavors of a food
without changing its taste
• Salt is the most common seasoning

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Flavor Profiles
• Top notes or high notes
– The sharpest first flavors or aromas
• Middle notes
– The second wave of flavor, more subtle
• Low notes or bass notes
– The most dominant lingering flavor
• Aftertaste or finish
– The final flavor
• Roundness
– The unity of a dish’s various flavors
• Depth of flavor
– A broad range of flavors

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Working with Flavors
• Chefs may rely on classic flavor combinations
– Lamb with garlic and rosemary
– Apple Pie with cinnamon
• Chef may amplify flavors
– Sprinkle large flake salt on meat before serving
• Chefs may layer flavors
– Add lemon rind, lemon juice and lemon basil to a
dressing

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Seasoning and Flavoring Guidelines
• Flavorings should not hide the taste or aroma of the
primary ingredient.
• Flavorings should be combined in balance, so as not to
overwhelm the palate.
• Flavorings should not be used to disguise poor quality or
poorly prepared products.
• Flavorings should be added sparingly when foods are
being cooked over a long period of time.
• Taste and season foods frequently during cooking.

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International Flavor Principles (1 of 2)
• Six general components help distinguish the essence of
many world cuisines.
– Primary ingredients (proteins and starches)
– Religious influences
– Typical cooking methods
– Cooking liquids
– Fats
– Flavorings

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International Flavor Principles (2 of 2)
• “Every culture tends to combine a small number of
flavoring ingredients so frequently and so consistently
that they become definitive of a particular cuisine.”
– Elizabeth Rozin, Ethnic Cuisine: The Flavor Principle
Cookbook
Some examples:
• Greece: tomato, cinnamon or olive oil, lemon, oregano
• India: Northern—cumin, ginger, garlic Southern—mustard
seed, coconut, tamarind, chile
• Mexico: tomato and chile or lime and chile

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Herbs and Spices
• Herbs
– Any of a large group of aromatic plants whose leaves,
stems or flowers are used as a flavoring
– Used either dry or fresh
• Spices
– Any of a large group of aromatic plants whose bark,
roots, seeds, buds or berries are used as flavoring
– Usually used in dry form, whole or ground

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Flavorings - Condiment
• Any item added to a dish for flavor, including herbs,
spices and vinegars
• Also refers to cooked or prepared flavorings such as
prepared mustards, relishes, bottled sauces and pickles

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Salt - The Most Common Seasoning
• Culinary salt or table salt
• Rock salt
• Kosher salt
• Sea salt
• Sel gris
• Fleur de sel
• Specialty salts
– Smoked salt

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Using Salt
• Salt foods sparingly to start.
• Salt foods in small increments as you cook.
• Cooks can perspire in the kitchen and therefore need
more salt.
– Do not add too much salt to a dish to satisfy your own
craving for salt.
– Customers can add more salt at table.
• More salt may be needed in a dish that will be served
cold.

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Oil
• A type of fat that remains liquid at room temperature
• Cooking oils are refined from various seeds, plants and
vegetables

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Types of Oil
• Vegetable oil
– Cottonseed, peanut, grape seed, sesame seed and soybean
• Canola
– Rapeseeds
• Nut oil
– Walnut, hazelnut and others
• Olive oil
– Extra virgin, virgin and pure
• Flavored (infused) oils
– Infused with basil, garlic, citrus and spices

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Vinegars
• Wine vinegars
• Malt vinegars
• Distilled vinegars
• Cider vinegars
• Rice vinegars
• Flavored vinegars
• Balsamic vinegars

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Condiments
• Relishes and pickles
• Chipotle
• Chutneys
• Fish sauce and fermented black beans
• Ketchup
• Prepared mustards
– Yellow, Dijon, whole grain
• Soy sauce, Tamari
• Tahini

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Wines
• Wine is a naturally fermented fruit juice.
• Winemaking process depends on choices made by the
wine maker
• Fermentation
• Tannins

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Types of Wine
• Red, White and Rosé Wine
• Sparkling Wine
• Fortified Wines
– Port, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala

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Wine Labeling
• Most wines are named for the variety of grape that is
used
• Grape Variety (US Cabernet Sauvignon)
– The U.S. government requires that 75% of the wine
comes from a particular grape
• Place of Origin (France Chablis)

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Red Varietals
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Nebbiolo
• Pinot Noir
• Syrah
• Sangiovese

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Tasting Wines
• Aroma
• Bouquet
• Taste
• Body

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Beer
• Made from:
• Water
• Hops
• Barley
– Malt
• Fermenting yeast

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Types of Beers
• Ales
– Pale
– Brown
• Lagers
• Porter and stout
• Pilsner

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Selecting Beers to Use as Flavorings
• Bitterness, may require sweetening
• Use beers in marinade
• Use beer in a batter for deep-frying

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Distilled Sprits
• Grape Brandy
– Grape Brandy, Cognac
– Armagnac
• Fruit Brandy
– Calvados
– Kirschwasser
– Framboise
– Poire
– Slivovitz

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Liquors
• Gin
• Rum
• Tequila
• Vodka
• Whiskey
– Scotch
– Irish
– Bourbon
– Rye

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Liqueurs
• Liqueurs are made from herbs, fruits, nuts, spices,
flowers or other flavors
• In a base of neutral spirits, brandy, rum or whiskey
• Cream liqueurs are made with cream
• Crème liqueurs contain no cream, but contain additional
sugar

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Flambéing: Cooking with Alcohol
• Flambéing means:
• igniting brandy, rum or other liquor so that alcohol burns
off and the flavor is retained

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Guidelines for Cooking with
Alcoholic Beverages
• Use quality products
• Do not cook with a wine that you would not drink
• Pay attention to the cooking time once the wine or other
alcoholic beverages have been added
• Brown foods before adding wine or other alcoholic
beverages to finish a dish such as a sauce or stew
• Alcohol and acids in wine may interact with aluminum or
cast-iron cookware

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