Salt, fat, acid, heat
Most flavor problems come down to one of four things. Salt strengthens flavors, fat adds richness, acid brightens heavy food, and heat adds browning and texture. When a dish tastes off, work out which one is low before you add anything.
Fat carries flavor
Many flavor compounds dissolve in fat, not water. Sizzle spices in oil for 30 to 60 seconds and their flavor spreads through the whole dish. It's one reason low-fat food can taste thin.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
A creamy pasta tastes heavy and dull even though it's salted well. What helps most?
A squeeze of lemon juice. Acid cuts through the fat and brightens the flavor.
True or false: A flat-tasting sauce that's already salted well can often be fixed with a little acid.
True. When the salt is right, a small splash of lemon juice or vinegar brightens flavors.
What went wrong? You find your tomato sauce too sharp and keep adding salt. It still tastes sour.
Add a pinch of sugar or a knob of butter. Sugar and fat soften sharp acid, but salt alone won't cancel it.
Fill the blank: A squeeze of lemon adds ___ to a rich, flat dish.
A squeeze of lemon adds brightness to a rich, flat dish. Acid sharpens and lifts flavors.
Pale roasted vegetables taste watery. Which change adds the most flavor?
Roasting hotter, at about 220°C (425°F), so the edges brown. Browning reactions start near 140°C and create new, sweet, deep flavors.
One squeeze of lemon
Fix a flat soup with a single ingredient.
Do the 10-minute experiment