On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 751

creates the character, and that makes a spice well suited to serve as a unifying bridge among several different ingredients Coriander seed, for example, is simultaneously flowery and lemony; bay leaf combines eucalyptus, clove, pine, and flowery notes It can be fascinating — and useful — to taste spices analytically, trying to perceive the separate components and how their flavors are built Terms from perfumery can be helpful: there are “top notes,” perceived right away, ethereal and quick to fade; there are “midnotes,” the main flavors; and there are “bottom notes,” which are slow to develop and which persist The charts on pp 392 and 393 list the prominent aroma components in a selection of herbs and spices There are two particular chemical families that contribute many of the aroma compounds in herbs and spices Flavor Families: The Terpenes Terpene compounds are constructed from a zigzag building block of five carbon atoms, which turns out to be amazingly versatile and can be combined, twisted, and decorated into tens of thousands of different molecules Plants usually produce a mixture of defensive terpenes They are characteristic of the needles and bark of coniferous trees, of citrus fruits (p 374), and of flowers, and provide pine-like, citrusy, floral, leaf-like, and “fresh” notes to the overall flavor of many herbs and spices As a family, terpenes tend to be especially volatile and reactive This means that they’re often the first molecules to reach the nose, and provide the initial impression of these lighter, more ethereal notes It also means that they’re readily boiled off or modified by even brief cooking, which is why these fresh, light notes disappear If desired, they can be restored to a cooked dish by adding a new dose of the herb or spice just before serving  ... Plants usually produce a mixture of defensive terpenes They are characteristic of the needles and bark of coniferous trees, of citrus fruits (p 374), and of flowers, and provide pine-like, citrusy, floral, leaf-like, and “fresh”... notes to the overall flavor of many herbs and spices As a family, terpenes tend to be especially volatile and reactive This means that they’re often the first molecules to reach the nose, and provide the initial impression of. ..Terpene compounds are constructed from a zigzag building block of five carbon atoms, which turns out to be amazingly versatile and can be combined, twisted, and decorated into tens of thousands of different molecules