In the Western world, there is a common misunderstanding that plant-based foods are tasteless, but if you know what you are doing, you cannot be far from the truth. You can learn to play with the five pillars of taste and other delicious culinary elements and enjoy everything you eat. For me, it’s a fresh local strawberry just out of the basket, or a flavored bomb in a watermelon poke bowl from my cookbook, or the rich creamy joy of alfredo sauce.
Flavor and connection with your health
As a professional chef trained in France, I learned that flavors come from a variety of sauces long before they became plant-based, but most people have fat, salt and sweets (even on a French-based basis). There are only three of them. The most addictive and unhealthy foods also fall into this category because they are the pillars of meat-based diets and processed foods. Don’t get me wrong. These three flavors are essential, but not the only, to create a delicious and balanced diet. Incorporating other flavor ingredients such as sourness and umami, and considering seasonality, will open up a whole new world where deliciousness and health are fused.
Plants are important in any diet
Plants, even those containing meat, are already an important part of any diet. Given your favorite marinades, salad dressings, and the base of your breakfast dish, that dish probably contains plants. Never put chicken in boiling water and serve it that way. Season with herbs, spices and lemons. Maybe you cook it with cast iron for something a little special.
And when you take out the meat, the same concept works. The tofu itself is not a taste explosion, but it is delicious when the proper marinade is cooked in cast iron! Tofu is one of my favorite clean protein sources because it has the ability to absorb flavor.
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From an organic authority file
Five elements of flavor
When making flavors, start with five elements: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, and umami. After assessing the balance of these flavors, consider texture, fat, seasonality, etc.All of these components can make or break dishes
Chef Bye’s plant-based spicy maple slow cooker chili has a balanced and delicious taste.
Once you know what to consider, you can easily fix overly flat sauces, tone down spicy dishes, or add complexity to your desserts.
At first, it can be hard to think about all of this when cooking, but once you get the hang of it, you can build and tweak flavors in any recipe, whether plant-based or not. Will be.
1. Salt
When used properly, the proper salt can enhance the flavor of the dish.
Salt is a kind of simple ingredient that only stands out if it is too much or too little. Salt has the ability to bring out the natural flavors of foods, so it can truly enhance any dish. However, balance is important. No one wants a bite of salt. Fortunately, if the dish is too salty, you can add a little fat to balance the flavor (olive oil, plant-based yogurt, avocado, cashew cream, etc.). There are many kinds, so you can change the taste by changing the salt. My favorite example is adding black salt to a plant-based “egg” dish to enhance the sulfur flavor. Give it a try and say you don’t think you’re eating eggs!
2. Sweet
Use a little honey to balance the flavors of the dish such as acidity, spices and umami.
When adding a touch of sweetness, think bigger than dessert or breakfast. By adding the sweetness of coconut sugar, maple syrup, agave syrup and date nectar, you can balance the best flavored dishes and complement not only acidity but also spices and umami. I love adding coconut sugar to caramelized onions and yellow curry. Add a little maple syrup and chickpea spices to make it crispy and tasty in the oven. Add coconut amino and maple syrup to Thai peanut dressing to enhance the umami taste. The possibilities are endless!
3. Sour and bitter
Add another layer of acidity to balance the dish.
For sourness, look at vinegar and citrus. The sour taste not only balances fatty dishes, but also brings flat dishes to life. For example, I always squeeze the lemon into the alfredo sauce I mentioned and help brighten or brighten it on the palette so it doesn’t get too heavy. I’m also a big fan of “cooking” things with citrus and salt, like the cookbook cauliflower ceviche. Citrus is the base of marinades, with a delicious balance of oranges for sweets, limes and lemons for sour, jalapenos for spicy, and avocados for fats. It really has all the elements! And if you find your dish too sour or too vinegar, add a little sweetness or fat.
4. Spices
Use spices to create a layer of flavor on your favorite dishes. A little helps a lot.
Spices aren’t just for those who put hot sauce on everything. The spice element provides much more, adding layers of complexity, interest, and flavor. Add the pepper paste to the first stage of the ramen. A little jalapeno to guacamole. Alternatively, put the chili powder in a lentil dish. Adding spices does not make the dish itself spicy. Use small amounts to build layers of flavor that would otherwise not be possible. If you are avoiding using such types of materials, I highly recommend leaving the comfort zone to experience the possibilities.
5. Umami
Mushrooms can add umami to any dish.
Umami can be reminiscent of MSG takeaway, but it literally means “the essence of deliciousness” in Japanese, a little suggestive of the importance of this taste. Foods with strong umami are soy sauce, mushrooms, wasabi, tomatoes, seaweed, and fermented foods. It’s that naive taste that you can’t put your finger on completely.
Other components of flavor building
Chef’s Bai Watermelon Poke Bowl is very pleased with the bold taste of ingredients such as coconut amino, shiracha, rice vinegar, watermelon and cashew cream.
Texture and temperature
Texture and temperature can expand the way food is viewed outside the five pillars of taste. By adding different textures and temperatures to every dish, you can grab and think about the palette. My favorite example is my watermelon pocket bowl. You’ll get the crispy cold umami and texture of watermelon, the crunchy warmth of rice, the crispy coldness of cucumbers, and the soft finish of avocado and spicy crema. Are you hungry yet?
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Fats from healthy sources like olive oil can be an important factor in balancing your favorite dishes. Buy Manni Oil, an Italian organic extra virgin EVOO, at Organic Authority’s Shop.
Fat is an important player in flavor, but heart disease is America’s biggest murderer, so I’d like to emphasize the whole plant-based fat source. The fat in the dish is like a warm hug to our palette. There is no alternative. Fortunately, there are many plant-based sauces that will satisfy your taste buds while improving your health. Avocados, nuts, seeds, coconuts and dark chocolate are my favorites. Some examples of dishes made with plant-based fats: avocado mousse. Cashew nut sour cream. “Tuna” from sunflower seeds. Fresh cream from coconut; and chocolate, no need to introduce.
Seasonal
Procure fresh seasonal ingredients to maximize the natural flavor of your dishes.
There is no substitute for procuring food during the season. It’s time for strawberries in San Diego. Today, I ate fresh farmers market strawberries that are incomparable to what I buy at a winter grocery store. Very sweet, very flavorful and very bright. The same applies to any produce. There are other benefits to buying seasonally. For example, you can get food from a nearby farm, or you can get food grown outdoors instead of in the greenhouse. And buying food from your area means that it doesn’t have to travel far. This means you get more nutrients and flavors. Before planning your meal, do a quick Google search to get an idea of the seasons in your area. This is one of the easiest ways to get the most out of your food.
Playing with flavor building and other good culinary elements when dealing with plant-based foods will not only bring you more joy, but also bring you more health. Let’s start today!
Looking for more? Follow Chef Bai on Instagram and Tiktok (@chef_bai) for cooking tips, free recipes and more.
cooking. Healing. Let’s go vegan! A delicious guide to plant-based cooking for better health and a better world Bailey Ruskus-Chef Bye. Under the guidance of professional plant-based chef Bailey Ruskus, the plant-based lifestyle, which employs all foods, is full of fun and flavor. Learn how to make simple, nutritious dishes that you want over and over again, incorporating purpose and intent into every meal. Bailey lives in San Diego, California.
