When you think of an allium, what comes to mind? Near the top of the list may be onion or garlic. Scientists Shane McDonald, PhD and Kathryn Thamann discuss alliums as a foundation for foods and the endless opportunities that they present below.
Crafting Taste with Onion and Garlic
Onion and garlic provide the foundation from which so many flavors can be built. That is because of their versatility. When you start with an intact allium, you are holding the inception of everything it could become. The only thing limiting you is your imagination. The first step to opening up the possibilities is to understand the potential.
Alliums, when intact, are fairly odorless prior to introducing any human intervention. Through the act of cutting, crushing or otherwise disrupting the tissue triggers a cascade of reactions, unleashing unmistakably pungent aromas. And, because these compounds are very volatile and heat sensitive, they can also be manipulated through different cooking techniques. The flavor and aroma of a raw onion compared to a sautéed onion are much different because the volatile compounds are minimized once heat is introduced. Two important reactions are responsible for flavor development while cooking – caramelization and the Maillard reaction.
Download the full Crafting Taste article where Dr. McDonald and Thamann discuss these two reactions.
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