Flavor complexity is a term used in the culinary world to describe the interaction between two or more flavors within a dish. Many times, flavor complexity is related to how many ingredients are in a dish and the length of the cooking process.
Both professional chefs and home cooks can add complexity to their dishes by applying the principles of flavor pairings and layering.
The Science of Flavor Pairings
A food’s flavor profile comes from the interaction between the molecules in the ingredients and the taste buds on the tongue. Nearly all ingredients release aroma and flavor molecules when they are broken down. This can happen during the cooking or eating process.
Once the flavor molecules are free, they interact with receptors in the mouth, tongue, and nose. Saliva softens and disrupts chemical bonds in flavor molecules to make them accessible to the tongue receptors.
These taste buds can pick up five basic flavors of sweet, salty, sour, umami, and bitter. Complex flavors are a combination of any of these basic tastes. Flavor molecules can also interact with olfactory receptors in the nose. This is why taste and smell are so closely related.
Culinary experts and food scientists can leverage the interaction of flavor molecules to combine ingredients that produce an enjoyable taste. Mixing ingredients with similar molecular profiles generally produces better-tasting results. Even seemingly opposite flavors like chocolate and blue cheese pair well together because the ingredients contain similar compounds.
When ingredients lack shared compounds, it can lead to an unsavory dining experience. To address this, chefs often introduce an ingredient that shares compounds with the incompatible elements, serving as a “flavor bridge” to enhance the overall taste.
How Layered/Harmonized Flavors Appear in Culinary Dishes
Incorporating flavor pairings and flavor bridges into a dish creates a layered or harmonized taste. Some cultural cuisines are more reliant on flavor bridges than others.
For example, rich and complex Thai dishes include flavor bridges to harmonize multiple ingredients. Western cuisine, such as American and European, is often based on flavor pairings. South American cuisines use both, while dishes from Japan and Korea tend to use neither. In East Asian cuisine, harmony is achieved through other taste sensations such as temperature and texture.
One of the most common ways to add flavor layers to a dish is by adding spices, herbs, or fragrant vegetables during the cooking process. For example, sautéing onions in butter before adding them to a sauce will result in a more nuanced flavor.
Techniques for Creating Layered/Harmonized Flavors
There are many tried and true ways to add flavor layers to a dish. Removing or adding water can help balance out strong flavors. Since too much water can dilute flavor, many chefs opt to only cook with flavored liquids, such as broth, bullion, wine, or brown liquors.
Seasoning or marinating should happen as early in the cooking process as possible. This allows ingredients like vegetables and proteins to absorb the flavor and produce a more powerful taste. Roasting certain spices can also intensify their flavor.
To prevent a single flavor from overpowering the dish, chefs will pair flavors with their opposites. Flavors from fats such as oil or butter can be cut with acidity. Lemon zest, vinegar, and lime juice can all add acidity.
Sweet ingredients can balance out salty ones. Coconut milk and honey are often mixed into savory dishes to add a touch of sweetness. The opposite is also true. Salt and hot spices like cayenne pepper pair well with sweet ingredients like chocolate, caramel, and licorice.
Cooking techniques can also add flavor layers. Toasting, roasting, or drying out ingredients can tease out the molecules and make them more flavorful.
Combining several cooking techniques into one dish can have the same effect. For example, some recipes call for browning the outer edges of a piece of fish or meat and then using a slow cooker to complete the cooking process.
Reusing leftovers from cooking also adds complexity. The juices produced by roasting meat make a flavorful stock for cooking vegetables, while mixing remnants of seared meat with acids, fats, and spices creates a delightful sauce.
Far More to Learn about Flavor Layering
Food scientists are still uncovering the science behind complex flavor profiles. Current findings estimate that around 80 percent of taste is interpreted by olfactory receptors in the nose.
Scents can influence how individuals perceive taste quality and intensity, as well as determine the portion of an ingredient they might consume. Researchers have used this understanding to create chemical compounds that mimic or enhance a flavor’s aroma in a dish.
Scientists are also investigating the influence of other factors such as color on flavor perception. Food coloring can affect how people interpret an ingredient, even if the coloring is flavorless. A study from the University of Michigan also found that touch can affect flavor. Some subjects noted that coffee tasted better in a solid cup rather than a flimsy one.
As researchers learn more about flavor science, cooks of all abilities can apply these findings to create even more unique and delicious dishes.