THE ATTRACTION OF AROMA
Aroma is what you smell when you approach food, whether being cooked or served. We usually think of aroma as being pleasant as opposed to “odor”, which most of us associate with an unpleasant smell. Most of what we identify as “taste” is really an aroma. For those who cannot smell (a common cold will do that) food just won’t have the same attractive taste as it does when we perceive the food’s aroma first.
The way food smells makes up a large percentage of what we call “taste”. That’s why food just doesn’t taste very good when our sense of smell is blocked. Try a simple experiment—hold your nose as you are eating something that has a definite taste and notice how that taste almost goes away while you are holding your nose.
Heat is critical to aroma. Ever try to smell ice cream? Probably not very satisfactory. The reason is that heat releases aromatic compounds that are responsible for aroma. The other side of that coin is that you can destroy those compounds with too much heat and thereby lose the aroma entirely or have it replaced by other, less attractive smells.
You are looking for a balance so that, when someone walks into your house, she says, “What is that great smell coming from the kitchen?”
Initially, you need to work with an odor free kitchen. No old grease smells, not sour milk smells, no musty smells. That simply translates to keeping your kitchen clean.
Next, try to remember which herbs and spices benefit from heat. To start, here is a list that you might find useful:
Rosemary—reasonably strong, even without heat. When heated, rosemary becomes more aromatic.
Cinnamon—one of the world’s favorite herbs. It really works best when it is heated, such as in rolls and other baked goods. It can work without heat, in ice cream, for example, but it shines brightest after being heated.
Cardamom—goes with curry dishes, quite a few pastries, and almost any dish that has a strong citrus element.
Basil—an absolute requirement ins almost any Italian dish that isn’t sweet. Basil goes in pasta dishes, meat dishes, and some vegetable dishes. I have a basil bush that I retrieve basil leaves from whenever I need basil.
Thyme—earthy and floral, again, useful in pasta dishes, stews, rubs for almost any protein that needs a rub.
Mint—quite pungent. Terrific with lamb dishes and various sweet foods.
Ginger—strong flavor that is useful in Chinese dishes, curries, and a host of baked goods. Ginger ice cream is also common.
Nutmeg—a warm and inviting spice. A little goes a long way and goes in any number of dishes. Sautéed spinach, yellow squash, again, any number of baked goods, and as a sprinkle over certain milk based alcoholic drinks.
Saffron—an expensive spice that goes in paella, biryani, some risottos, and certain rich desserts.
Cloves—strong flavor that goes in quite a number of baked goods, stews, and certain vegetables. Generally, use cloves in its ground condition, since biting into a raw clove is a bit of a flavor jolt.
Your sense of smell is also rather useful in determining when food has spoiled. Not all bad foods smell, but most do, so when you are unsure whether or not food has spoiled, smell it. Your nose will frequently tell you whether or not to chuck the food out. The “sell by” date is modestly useful, but not particularly reliable. Your nose is a much better guide.
As mentioned in an earlier installment, when checking on the potency of herbs or spices, pinch an herb or grind a spice and then smell it. If there isn’t much there when you do that, whatever you are checking has probably expired.