On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 761

water molecules in a batch of herbs reach the boiling point within a few seconds and begin to escape from the leaves, while the structures containing the oil-like flavor compounds (glands and canals, pp 402 and 407) heat up more gradually and indirectly, via the heat of the water molecules The herbs dry in a matter of a few minutes, with less drastic flavor losses than result from ordinary oven drying Cooking With Herbs and Spices Herbs and spices are generally cooked along with other ingredients, and as a relatively minor component of the mixture, 1% or less of the total weight This section explores the extraction and transformation of flavor in such dishes But some preparations rely on flavorings to provide more than just flavor (p 401) And a number of herbs — parsley, sage, basil — are delicious on their own, deep-fried just long enough to become crisp and mellow their flavor Flavor Extraction For herbs and spices to provide us with flavor, cooks must find ways to liberate the flavor chemicals from within their tissue and convey them to our taste and odor receptors For fragile herbs, this may be as simple as strewing the fresh leaves on the dish, as in Vietnamese soups: the eater liberates the aromas by chewing on the leaves, and enjoys them at their freshest But if the flavors are to be incorporated into the dish, then the flavor compounds must somehow escape from the herb or spice The cook may leave the flavoring intact and use liquids and heat to encourage the flavors to seep out gradually, or he may break it into particles — chopping fresh herbs, crumbling dry ones, grinding spices — to expose the flavor molecules ... aromas by chewing on the leaves, and enjoys them at their freshest But if the flavors are to be incorporated into the dish, then the flavor compounds must somehow escape from the herb or spice The cook may leave the. .. chemicals from within their tissue and convey them to our taste and odor receptors For fragile herbs, this may be as simple as strewing the fresh leaves on the dish, as in Vietnamese soups: the eater liberates the aromas by chewing on the leaves, and enjoys...just long enough to become crisp and mellow their flavor Flavor Extraction For herbs and spices to provide us with flavor, cooks must find ways to liberate the flavor chemicals from within their tissue and convey