Originally, humans are born with 10,000 taste buds. However, by the time a person becomes an older adult, half of that is lost, and according to science, adults have approximately 5000 functional taste buds left. Did you know that taste buds get renewed every two weeks? This is particularly important when it comes to the foods you cook. Changing taste buds means your food may not taste the same all the time. This is why it helps to learn a few tricks to enhance the taste and flavor of your food. Here are some examples as you eat healthy and enjoy your meals.
Cut onions and garlic just before using them
This is not an old wives’ tale. Onions and garlic have strong flavors that add immense taste to food. The trick, though, is knowing when to cut or slice them. According to cooks, it is better to cut them up only when it’s time to add them to the cooking food. In other words, cutting, chopping, or dicing them in advance takes away so much of their natural flavor. Furthermore, it is best to add onions and garlic in the final cooking minutes. Instead of adding all your onions and garlic at the beginning, you can divide them into equal halves. Start with a portion from the beginning and then add the remaining few minutes before the food is cooked. It makes a lot of difference in the taste of your food.
Sometimes, to save time, busy households commit to meal prepping. At this stage, garlic is crushed or blended and stored away in the freezer. It is okay if this is your routine, but the key is to transfer them into airtight containers immediately after blending. Then you can store the puree in the freezer without leaving it for too long on the kitchen counter.
Add savoriness or umami seasoning
According to culinary experts, one other way to enhance food taste is to add glutamate. Now, this is where you can consider adding some Umami seasoning to your food during the cooking process. Umami-rich foods are considered the fifth taste after sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. When added to foods, it brings out a distinctive flavor that enhances the taste. If you want to try other seasonings, you can consider soy sauce and anchovies. They do well with meat, chicken, vegetables, sauces, and seafood.
Consider using the fond
Fond refers to the brown bits left in the utensil used for frying, roasting, or sautéing foods. The caramelized bits are a rich source of flavor and taste. Often, people discard the fond, thinking it is the burnt part of the food. On the contrary, it is densely packed with all the delicious juices released from the meats and other edibles exposed to heat. Remember, the color is a deep brown, more caramel in appearance, and not black. You can use it by breaking up the stickiness with broth or very little soup. For tasty results, some restaurants prefer to deglaze fond with a little white or red wine. You can try it if you’re curious.
Retain the seeds in tomatoes
Culinary experts say tomato seeds and the jelly inside are packed with immense flavor-enhancing compounds. So, if you’re cooking a dish that needs more moisture, don’t discard the seeds and jelly. On the other hand, if the recipe requires less moisture, you can freeze the tomato seeds for later use.
Indeed, cooking is an art, and you can succeed at it with practice. Meanwhile, do not forget that appearance, flavor, and taste are the three main elements that make your food memorable.
*Collaborative Post