From the ancient Spice Road to the Art of Flavour

I know this has been said before but as Home Cooks we are much like an artist with a palette.

Our painting is the dish we are working on and the paints and colours on the palette are our ingredients. And just like an artist, it is how we combine and blend the ingredients that gives our finished dish.

Consider this. Each time we commence work in our kitchen we enter into that wonderful realm of creativity, be it adding our natural Spice Seasonings when time is short mid week or the full Mis en place when all your herbs, spices, aromatics and fresh ingredients are laid out, ready for the excitement of the dish.

Balancing Flavour Components

All of this artistic romance is important of course but there is another flavour element that should be on our palette.

In the world of great chefs it is called Synergising. That is, the balancing of the five flavour components: Bitter, Sweet, Sour, Salt and Umami (savoury)

The combinations are endless. Opposite flavours can create wonderful flavour synergy. Think of a sweet element, say, strawberries pairing with a savoury mushroom risotto. The strawberries or blueberries are added at the finish for a wonderful flavour transformation to the umami of the risotto.

And the opposite holds true. Similar flavours can also create an amazing flavour lift. Try Lemon Zest and the spice; Moroccan Sumac. Both have a sharp citrus note and each lifts the flavour combination to unimagined heights. Pure synergy that may be easily worked into recipes.

Synergy and Texture - A Cook's Friend

A busy mid week evening usually calls for support and easy spice pairings are a cook's friend. The synergy of fresh Ginger and Garlic together is ready to lift a stir fry chicken or roasted vegetables, taking minimal time when joined with a dash of soy.

Going further, an indispensable component on your culinary palette is texture and the same synergy applies; opposites can create amazing flavour.

Awesome Desserts and Lemony Breadcrumbs

Think of all the desserts where crunchy and creamy components give a blissful, unforgettable creation. And you can extend the texture synergy of opposites to lemony breadcrumbs when frying fish.

The point of all this is it is for home cooks to experiment (that never changes) with all the synergy flavour harmonies available. Recipes always help but it is up to home cooks to experiment and perfect their own unique synergies.

Stay well everybody

Arthur Huxley www.spiceroadspices.com.au