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Seasonings and Flavorings

Seasoning – substances that enhance flavor of food, not usually detected themselves

Flavoring – substances added for their own flavor

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1. Salt (NaCl)-health issues, kosher, pickling, iodized, sea salt, flavored

2. Pepper- black = dried unripe berry- white = dried ripe kernel of ripe berry- red = dried pods e.g. cayenne

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3. MSG – monosodium glutamate • “flavor enhancer” – may also add own flavor in high amounts (umami)• Used in processed veg, meat, poultry, fish

• Considered safe, but some are people sensitive: “Chinese restaurant syndrome”

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4. 5’ Riboncleotides

• flavor enhancers umami

-yeast autolysates

-disodium guanylate

-inosinate

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5. Spices and herbs

Spice – dried aromatic plant products “true spice” = bark, roots, buds,

flowers, fruits and seeds of plants grown in tropics

e.g. allspice, caraway, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, ginger, paprika

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Herbs – leaves, stems, seeds of plants from temperate climates

e.g. leaves and stems = bay leaves, oregano, sage, tarragon, thyme

seeds = caraway, sesame, dill (both tropical and temperate)

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Spice Blends - e.g. curry powder, chili powder (chili pepper,

cumin, garlic, oregano), poultry seasoning, mixed

pickling spice, Cajun spice

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Spices and herbs generally added as “flavor builders” (contribute to total flavor)

Some, however, have distinctive flavors: e.g. basil, oregano,

tarragon, sage

Tables 3-1 & 3-2 on pp 46-48 in Dummies lists some spices and

herbs and their uses

Some spice and herb tips…

Purchase in small quantitiesStore in cool, dry, dark place—use within 1 yrCrush dried herbs b/w fingers b/f usingGrind your own from whole spices for more

flavorDried spices & herbs more concentrated than

fresh, so use only 1/3-1/2 as much when using dried for fresh

Interesting research…10

Spices get odors from small molecules that evaporate easily (they’re volatile)

Some spices can easily penetrate the cell membranes in the brains of insects making them get hyper or fly away

People don’t have the same receptors in their brains, so they are safe for humans

Combinations of spice extracts, like rosemary, peppermint, cinnamon and thyme, may soon be used as organic pesticides in crops!

American Chemical Society Annual Meeting, 2009

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6. Flavor extracts

extracts and essential oils (volatile) from aromatic plants usually dissolved in alcohol

e.g. vanilla, lemon, orange, almond

7. Vegetables, fruit, flowers12

Hot peppers—capsicum genusFruits—lemon, lime, oranges, acaiVegetables—”mirepoix”: 50% onion, 25%

carrots, 25% celery Edible flowers—pansies, violas, marigolds,

tulips, squash blossoms, carnations

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8. Alcohol

• wine, liqueurs, distilled spirits• low boiling point• 4-85% retained w/ cooking

depends on time and type of cooking method

9. Flavored oils and vinegars—often used for marinating