What could be the basic ingredients that potentiate sourness and bitterness?
When it comes to basic tastes (saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and umami), I can easily think of very basic ingredients that could be considered the essence of a given taste, something that you can add to any meal and potentiate that specific taste:
- For sweetness, we have sugar.
- For saltiness, we have salt.
- For umami, we have monosodium glutamate.
I have doubts regarding sourness. At first I thought about vinegar or lemon juice, but both ingredients do modify the flavor of meals you add them into (and not just potentiate a given taste). And regarding bitterness, I just have no clue. Note that I am speaking about ingredients (something you can find in a kitchen), and not about chemical compounds in general.
So what ingredients can be considered the essence of sourness and bitterness?
Best Answer
About any acid will deliver a sour taste from H+, along with whatever taste the corresponding anion brings along. Most alkaloids are bitter.The term covers a wide range of different chemicals, mostly including nitrogen qnd oxygen as part of their structure. There are likely quite a few bitter compounds which are not alkaloids, but none spring to mind at the moment. Bitter is a far more complex response than sour or sweet.
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Quick Answer about "What could be the basic ingredients that potentiate sourness and bitterness?"
Citric or lactic acid solutions are both neutral flavored organic acids; acids are what cause a perception of sourness. A caffeine solution can be used as a neutral bitter flavor standard. While not common in the kitchen, the acids are available in the US in homebrewing stores, and caffeine in a pharmacy.What causes sourness in food?
The sour taste of foods and beverages is largely due to organic acids, including acetic, citric, malic, and fumaric acids in fruits and vegetables and tartaric acid in wine. Dilute solutions of many inorganic acids also taste sour. One example is the phosphoric acid in cola beverages.Which chemical is responsible for sour taste?
The hydrogen ions of acids (e.g., hydrochloric acid) are largely responsible for the sour taste; however, although a stimulus grows more sour as its hydrogen ion (H+) concentration increases, this factor alone does not determine sourness.What can I add to taste bitter?
Fats and sweetness can help smooth the bitter corners of a dish, just like they make coffee taste less bitter. So add a spoonful of sugar, cream or butter to tame that bitterness.What causes the sour taste in acids?
An acid is a substance that donates hydrogen ions. Because of this, in an acidic solution there are more hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions. This means the more acidic a food is, the more hydrogen ions are available to trigger the sour taste receptors. A base is a substance that accepts hydrogen ions.How to Reduce Bitter Taste - 9 Ways to Reduce Bitter Taste in Any Food - Fitness and Nutrition Guide
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Answer 2
Citric or lactic acid solutions are both neutral flavored organic acids; acids are what cause a perception of sourness. A caffeine solution can be used as a neutral bitter flavor standard. While not common in the kitchen, the acids are available in the US in homebrewing stores, and caffeine in a pharmacy.
Answer 3
Here is a small list of herbs that provide bitterness, thyme, marjoram, lovage, rosemary, tarragon, bay leaves, sorrel, sage- If you want more bitterness and your recipe calls for these herbs- you might try increasing the amount of these herbs till you like the taste or achieve the result you are looking for, Alternatively- if you heat lemon juice it will tone down the actual lemon flavor and turn bitter. Sourness can be found in these foods- citrus fruits (such as lemon and limes), sour milk products (like yogurt, cheese, and sour cream), and fermented substances (including wine, vinegar, pickles, sauerkraut, and soy sauce). Again I would recommend that you simply increase the amounts of these foods in your recipe, Alternatively, I would recommend that you use a store bought artificial flavoring like lactic acid or fumaric acid, OR you could infuse regular white vinegar or a lightly flavored vinegar(such as apple cider or champagne vinegar) with fresh herbs(specifically one or more of those that are called for in your recipe.) I hope you get your conundrum solved....:-)
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