What happens chemically when flavours 'mingle'?
When I make a stew and cook it for hours, the flavours combine to make a better combination than if I cooked them for a short time. The same thing happens when I leave a sauce like a ragu in the fridge overnight.
People talk about flavours mingling, but what is actually going on here? When the cells of foods break down and are released, what happens when they meet?
Best Answer
There are two different processes.
Amino and glutamine acids break down into smaller components, ?-glutamylpeptides due to long cooking. These proteins create the "complete, rounded taste", kokumi, similar to the umami taste, which is more a feeling than a flavor.
The second process are enzymes breaking down fat into other components that we recognize as flavor, f.e. pentylfuran or heptenal. This process takes time and is independent from temperature and happens f.e. in the fridge overnight. It is similar to the process of aging meat.
Flavor pairing is a different process that is not related to this.
Reference:
Aroma - Die Kunst des Würzens / Flavor - The art of seasoning
http://www.amazon.com/Aroma-Thomas-Vilgis-Vierich/dp/3868510729
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How do flavors work together?
Flavor comes from smell." Briscione adds, "The more aromatic compounds two foods have in common, the better they tend to taste when paired together."How do flavors meld?
As the dish cools and sits over time, the different flavor and aroma compounds mingle together and develop more seasoned notes. The individual flavors are still there, but much less pronounced and the dish is therefore more mellow or rounded in flavor. Leftover foods seem to contain more umami, or savoriness.Why does sauce taste better the next day?
And there's a scientific reason why. According to the Institute of Food Technologists, flavors can be enhanced overnight due to chemical reactions, which continue to take place after cooking and produce more and/or new flavor molecules in a variety of ingredients, which is why leftovers can taste so good.Why does cooking food make it taste better?
Cooked food tastes better because of the browning and caramelization that take place when we heat foods to temperatures above the boiling point of water. The usage of salt, spices, and cooking oil, and the melding of flavors that takes place during cooking, also contribute.ChemMatters: Flavor chemistry - The science behind the taste and smell of food
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