There are 4 (
5 in Asian people) basic tastes:
1. sweet: sugar, carrots, sweet bell
peppers, liqueurs, many fruits
2. sour: lemons, limes, vinegars, wine
3. bitter: endive, turnips, chicory,
dandelions, radicchio, coffee
4. salty: sea salt, oysters
The fifth
taste is called Umani, it is a savory taste, comparable to mushrooms, sage,
truffles and mainly MSG (from soy sauce, which large use is the reason why the fifth taste is present in
Asians)
There are at
least ten primary odors detectable by the olfactory receptors in the human
nose:
- - Fragrant : toasted almond, popcorn
- - Sweet: the odor of hot waffles in the street, of mature fruit (banana), caramel,vanilla
- Floral, fruity: the scent associated with flowering vegetables, herbs, and plants, frui
- Citrus fruit: the scent of lemon
- Musky, woody, sap (resin) : the scent of sexual attraction between animals and humans; the scent of the under-wood after the rain
- Pepperminty: the scent found in various strengths in all members of the mint family (peppermint, basil, marjoram, and oregano)
- Ethereal: the scent of ether, any of a class of organic compounds derived from the distillation of ethyl alcohol, also used as an anesthetic
- Pungent: the scent of spices
- Camphoraceous, chemical : the strong scent of camphor, present in some insect repellents but also in the herb sage, and used as a stimulant, expectorant (medical)
- Putrid, disgusting: the scent of decay, of aged meat, and of some cheese molds, rotten eggs
A perfume , or a stink, is
a combination of two or more primary odors.
The wine is a
mixture of ethereal, fruity, sweet.
The bread
just out from the oven is fragrant and sweet, sometimes a little sour if made
with sour-dough.
The odors are
perceived in the zone of brain called
Limbo, the same where emotions are born. This might be the connection that make
us so sensitive to odors and perfumes, that brings us to a memory or, better,
to the memory of an emotion.
The human
perception of the flavor is given also by other factors: temperature and
texture.
Temperature
is fundamental: we hardly appreciate a cold soup or a warm chocolate bar.
Texture makes
a big difference too: many people dislike the persimmons for their slimy-ness.
The variety of persimmon called Kaki-mela has the same consistency of the
apple: the same people who do like the soft variety often like this one.
Texture is
fundamental in Risotto, which final result must be grainy and creamy (which
seems a contradiction) at the same time.
Texture determines
also the “sound” of a food: what to say about the “cracking” of a dark chocolate,
the “cricking” of potato chips, the “fizzy-nes” of Champagne?
The combination
of all these factors create the flavor of an ingredient or of an elaborated
culinary preparation.
We can talk
about the flavor of a particular variety of pear, for example, considering the
percentage of sweetness and sourness, the grainy-ness or the smoothness of its
pulp; we can perceive the ripeness by its the scent.
Up to this point we have formulated a vague idea of
how much the detection of a flavor involves all our physical senses and our
inner feelings. The “why” we like or not like certain foods is also determined by
the cultural environment and by the habits of the Country where we grow.
Talking about
flavors of cuisine elaborations, I would divide them in two kinds:
- smooth and
flat
- with picks
A smooth and
flat flavor is the typical of a preparation in which final result all the
components (tastes, odors, textures of every single ingredient) create one
single, homogeneous, “smooth”, velvety sensation. In similar morsels hardly the
single ingredients are recognizable. The final flavor is a “taste” by itself,
pleasant and luxury.
The flavor “with
picks”, happens when there is “a party in your mouth”: a fun distinguish of “picks”,
in different zone of the tongue and palate: picks of sourness, sweetness,
bitterness, saltiness. Such a flavor usually makes you to eat more.
An example of
“flat-smooth” flavor and “flavor with picks” is constituted by two different ways
of preparing Ravioli Cheese and Pears. A few details in execution make a big
difference in the final result.
Below you see
the two recipes. Try both: you will be amazed by the difference.
RAVIOLI CHEESE AND PEAR WITH ASPARAGUS SAUCE
Filling:
100 gr gorgonzola
2 small diced cooked pears
Sauce:
extra virgin olive oil
shallot
asparagus
vegetable broth
To Finish:
Parmigiano
Filling:
Peel and dice the pears. Cook them in a little water.
Mash them and mix with the Gorgonzola.
Sauce:
Cut off the tough part of the asparagus; peel the
stalk. Steam them 3 minutes.
Cut the tops and set aside.
Mince the shallot and sauté it in olive oil. Add the
peeled stalk and cook 5 minutes adding some broth. puree with the hand mixer
and filter through a chinois.
Assembling:
Make “won ton” shape ravioli with the Gorgonzola and
pear filling.
Cut 5cm (2” x 2”) squares and put a teaspoon of pear
filling in center. Lift opposite corners and pinch together to seal the sides.
Slightly twist the top. Boil them in plenty of salted boiling water. Drain.
Put some sauce on individual dishes. Place 5 ravioli
in the middle. Arrange three asparagus tops. Finish with flakes of Parmigiano
Reggiano.
RAVIOLI CHEESE AND PEARS WITH TRUFFLE
Filling:
75
gr gorgonzola
75
gr parmigiano
75
gr ricotta
Pears sauce:
3
pears
4 shallots
1 bay leaf
1 dl white
wine
1 teaspoon
coriander seeds
To finish:
50 gr butter
50 gr grated
Parmigiano
60 gr white truffle
black pepper
For the
filling:
Smash the
Gorgonzola and mix it with the other cheese
For the Pear
sauce:
Peel and dice
the pears; mince the shallot.
Sautè the
shallot in extra virgin olive oil. Add the diced pears, the coriander seeds,
the bay leaf. Cook a few minutes,
depending the ripeness. Drench with white wine and let it evaporate
Assembling:
Stretch the
pasta dough; cut it in rounds; put a teaspoon of cheese stuffing in the middle.
Divide
mentally the round in three equal parts. Lift up two points and seal the sides.
Lift the third part pinching it from the middle and seal the other two sides.
You will obtain a triangle.
Boil in plenty
salted water. Drain and toss in the pear sauce. Finish with truffle or truffle
butter.
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