CHAPTER 14: NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORINGS Flashcards
(173 cards)
1
Q
When asked about if a particular food is liked, most people comment on what?
A
Flavor, or taste.
2
Q
Are texture and presentation unimportant compared to flavor?
A
No, it’s just that flavor is the most important of all.
3
Q
How do you develop a sense of taste?
A
Through practice and experience.
4
Q
Are smell and memory connected?
A
Yes, so use it to your advantage. Connect smells to memories.
5
Q
Flavor consists of what three main parts?
A
Basic tastes, trigeminal effects, and smell.
6
Q
Basic tastes include what?
A
Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami.
7
Q
Trigeminal effects (or chemical feeling factors) include what?
A
Pungency of ginger, the burn of cinnamon, the cooling of mint, and the sting of alcohol.
8
Q
What is often considered the most important of the three components of flavor?
A
Smell, or aroma. It is certainly the most complex.
9
Q
Butter aroma is composed of how many different chemical compounds?
A
Hundreds.
10
Q
What is a flavor profile?
A
A description of product’s flavor when it is first smelled until after it is swallowed. The term is also used to describe the distinctive flavor combinations that characterize the food of a particular culture.
11
Q
Explain the flavor profile of a particular milk chocolate.
A
It may start with the aromas of vanilla and roasted coca, continue with the sweet taste and a milky caramelized flavor, and end with lingering bitterness.
12
Q
A full flavor profile has what?
A
Top notes, middle notes, and background or base notes, and an aftertaste or finish.
13
Q
What are top notes?
A
The smells that provide instant impact, the ones that first fill the bakeshop when pastries bake.
14
Q
When a product is described as “low in flavor,” what does this mean? Explain.
A
Because top notes provide first impressions of a products flavor, when a product is described as “low in flavor,” it is often low in top notes.
15
Q
Main sources of top notes.
A
Volatile flavors, or those that evaporate easily, usually because they consist of molecules that are small and light.
16
Q
The smells of fresh cut lemons, ripe strawberries and peaches are classified as what?
A
Top notes, because they’re highly volatile.
17
Q
Where do middle notes come from?
A
Flavor molecules that evaporate more slowly, usually because they are larger and heavier than top notes.
18
Q
Middle notes provide satisfying what?
A
Staying power to flavor.
19
Q
Name some foods classified as middle notes.
A
Many caramelized, cooked fruit, egg, cream, and coconut flavors. Also, roasted nuts, cocoa and chocolate, and coffee also are rich in middle notes, because of Maillard browning.
20
Q
Background or base notes consist mainly of what?
A
The largest, heaviest flavor molecules that are nonvolatile.
21
Q
Nonvolatile flavors evaporate slowly or what?
A
Not at all.
22
Q
Basic tastes and trigeminal effects are part of what?
A
Flavor’s background notes.
23
Q
If a product seems to be thin or weak and seems to need something, it’s probably what?
A
Middle and background notes.
24
Q
Low-fat foods often lack what? Why?
A
Staying power, because fat helps slow the release of flavor.
25
How do you enhance the flavor profile of low-fat foods?
Adding more ingredients rich in middle and base notes.
26
Aftertaste, or finish, is what?
The final flavor that remains in the mouth after food is swallowed.
27
Basic taste--especially bitterness--and trigeminal effects, often from ___, ____, and other spices, are important to aftertaste.
cloves, ginger
28
Do most, if not all, ingredients added to foods provide flavor?
Yes
29
By flavorings, we are referring to ingredients added to foods primarily for their flavor, especially their aroma. What ingredients does this eliminate?
Honey, almonds, and cocoa because they are equally important for texture, appearance and nutrition.
30
Do sugar and salt count as flavorants? Explain.
Sugar and salt also don't fall into this category because they provide basic tastes rather than aroma (and alter foods in many other ways).
31
While food flavoring contribute to a total flavor profile, they are especially good at providing _____ top notes and often ______ effects.
aroma, trigeminal
32
Flavorings used by bakers and pastry chefs can be categorized as what?
Herbs and spices and as processed flavorings.
33
Most, but not all, spices come from where?
Tropical climates.
34
The American Spice Trade defines a spice as what?
Any dried plant product used primarily for seasoning.
35
Where can spices comes from? Name of spices and their plant origins.
Bark of a tree (cinnamon), dried fruit (allspice and star anise), seeds (cardamom, nutmeg, and sesame), flower buds (clove, lavender, and rose), roots (ginger), and leafy herbs (mint, oregano, parsley). While not commonly thought of as spices, citrus peel, coffee beans, and vanilla pods fall into this definition.
36
All spices contain high amounts of what?
Volatile oils
37
Volatile oils are also called what?
Essential oils
38
The quality of a spice is related to what?
The amount of volatile oil it contains.
39
Why is Vietnamese (Saigon) cinnamon considered higher quality than Indonesian cinnamon?
It is very high in cinnamon oil, and often twice the price.
40
Besides providing top notes from volatile oils, spices provide ____ _______.
trigeminal effects
41
Cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, anise, and many other spices provide valuable what to foods?
Pungency
42
Disadvantages of spices.
Because they are an agricultural product, they can vary greatly in quality, strength, and price, and insect infestation can occur.
43
When might a low quality spice be the right choice? Use cinnamon as an example.
High quality cinnamon is high in cinnamon oil, but this might not be what you need. For example, when cinnamon is sprinkled generously on pastries as a garnish, a so-called high quality cinnamon, such as Vietnamese cinnamon, might be too intense. Instead, the mildest, least expensive cinnamon is likely the ideal choice.
44
Vanilla beans are a seed pod of a particular _____.
orchid
45
Vanilla beans are classified primarily by what? Give examples.
A region of origin. For example, vanilla beans can be Mexican, Tahitian, Indonesian (Java), or from Madagascar.
46
Madagascar vanilla is often called what? Why?
Bourbon vanilla because Madagascar was once Bourbon Island.
47
Cultivation of vanilla beans usually takes how much time?
A year of intense labor.
48
Describe intense labor when harvesting vanilla beans.
Plants are hand-pollinated to produce flowers, which bloom for just a few hours before forming pods. The pods remain on the vine for up to nine months to ripen. At this point, they are mostly green in color and still flavorless. Once harvested, vanilla beans are cured to develop their characteristic aroma and chocolate-brown color.
49
Does the curing process vary with different vanilla beans? Explain.
Yes, it varies with region. In all cases, though, it starts with heating the pods to stop the ripening process. Some produces dip beans in boiling water; others lay them in the sun to bake or on mats over an open fire. The beans are next alternately exposed to heat by day, then covered by night, to sweat. This process is repeated several weeks before the beans are slowly dried, then covered and aged.
50
If properly cultivated and cured, vanilla beans can develop up to __% natural vanillin.
2
51
Main flavor molecule in vanilla.
Vanillin.
52
Does each type of vanilla have its own characteristic flavor? Why?
Yes, because the climate and local curing practices are different.
53
Most popular vanilla in the U.S.?
Madagascar (bourbon) vanilla.
54
Describe flavor of Madagascar vanilla.
Deep, rich flavor, reminiscent of wood and rum.
55
Describe flavor of Tahitian vanilla.
Sweeter, more floral aroma with hints of cherry.
56
How much vanilla imported to the US is Tahitian? Where is most of it shipped.
Less than 1%. The bulk of it is shipped to Europe.
57
A few of the many factors that affect quality of spices include what?
Plant variety, country of origin, method of harvesting and handling, annual climate conditions, manufacturer's processing, and the age and storage conditions of the flavoring.
58
How do you minimize problems from spices?
Purchase spices from a reputable dealer and treat them as the raw agricultural products that they are. Or instead, consider using a processed flavoring.
59
Processed flavoring include what?
Extracts, liqueurs, compounds, oils, emulsions, and powders.
60
Can processed flavoring be natural or artificial?
Yes
61
Advantages of processed flavorings over spices.
Generally more consistent in flavor quality and strength, little or no concern over insect infestation, and they can be faster and easier to use than spices. For example, it is easier to measure an ounce of lemon extract or dried lemon peel than it is to zest a lemon.
62
One of the main disadvantages of processed flavorings.
The flavor of certain processed flavoring, even natural ones, can be less true, rich, or full than the original spice. For example, lemon extract, even if natural, rarely has the same true flavor as lemon zest.
63
Does almond extract taste much like almonds?
No
64
The most common processed flavoring in the bakeshop.
Extracts
65
All extracts contain what?
Alcohol
66
What does alcohol do for extracts?
Dilutes and dissolves the flavor ingredients and preserves them by preventing microbial growth.
67
Common flavors sold as extracts include what?
Vanilla, orange, peppermint, lemon, ginger, anise, and almond.
68
Can extracts be natural or artificial?
Yes, depending on whether the flavor added is natural or artificial.
69
The most popular and complex of extracts in North America.
Vanilla
70
If you like the flavor of a certain vanilla bean but want the convenience of an extract, you should consider what?
Making your own extract.
71
How can you make your own vanilla extract?
Slice vanilla pods lengthwise, scrape them with a knife, and chop them into small pieces. Place the finely chopped beans in a tightly closed jar with one fluid ounce (30 milliliters) of 80-proof vodka for each pod (about 0.1 ounce or 3 grams). Shake occasionally. After two or more weeks, you will have the equivalent of one-fold vanilla extract. The quality of your extract will depend on the quality of your beans.
72
Most extracts are made by dissolving what?
Flavoring agents in alcohol.
73
Lemon extract consists of what?
A certain amount of lemon oil added to an alcohol solution. With other extracts, however, alcohol solutions are used for extracting, or removing, flavor from the plant product.
74
Why is alcohol used for extracts instead of water?
Why is alcohol used for extracts instead of water? It is better at dissolving and extracting many flavor molecules.
75
How is pure vanilla extract is made commercially?
Infusing an alcohol solution with vanilla bean. The dilute alcohol gently percolates through mashed vanilla beans, often for several weeks, before aging.
76
In the US, a minimum of _____ ounces of vanilla bean is required to make one gallon (128 ounces) of extract ( in Canada, the minimum is ____g of vanilla bean for 100 milliliters of vanilla extract). This is equivalent to about one vanilla bean for each fluid ounce (2tbsp or 30 milliliters) of extract.
13.35; 10
77
Vanilla extract must also contain a minimum amount of alcohol (____%) and vanillin extracted from the bean.
35
78
While vanillin is only one of many flavor chemicals found in vanilla, it is a convenient gauge of overall ______.
quality
79
Do vanilla beans provide a somewhat different flavor than vanilla extract? Why?
Yes, because the infusion time is minutes instead of hours, and because the infusing liquid often does not contain alcohol and is not aged.
80
How is vanilla bean used?
Usually split, scraped down the middle, and allowed to infuse in a hot liquid, often milk. After time, the liquid becomes infused with vanilla flavor and the bean is removed.
81
How can you use used vanilla beans?
They've lost most of their top notes and therefore strong flavor. However, adding them to sugar or to a vanilla extract will reinforce or add some vanilla flavor.
82
Advantages of vanilla beans.
Can select a specific type of bean for a signature flavor.
No alcohol taste.
Can include natural flecks for visual appeal.
Less likely to darken or discolor background color of light sauces.
83
Advantages of vanilla extracts.
Consistent flavor from one use to the next.
Faster and easier to use.
Longer shelf life (often several years.
84
Are concentrated vanilla extracts available?
Yes, they simply contain higher amounts of vanilla extractives for the amount of alcohol.
85
What is the usual ratio of vanilla bean to alcohol in extracts?
So-called 1x or one-fold vanilla extract. Higher folds, such as 2x vanilla extract, are made by doubling the amount of vanilla for every gallon or liter of extract.
86
Is the price per ounce or gram higher for a 2x vanilla extract?
Yes, but the price per use is lower, and quality just as good.
87
Good quality vanilla extract can be purchased up to how many folds?
4X
88
In terms of using in the bakeshop, liqueurs should be thought of as what?
Extracts with sugar added.
89
Can liqueurs contain natural and artificial ingredients?
Yes
90
Why can liqueurs be very expensive?
The tax on alcohol.
91
Can the more popular liqueurs be purchased as what? Why is this good?
Concentrated flavoring at a lower cost; ideal for use in creams, where large amounts of alcohol could curdle the dairy ingredients. They can also be useful in frozen desserts, where alcohol lowers the freezing point and at high levels can prevent freezing from happening at all. Finally, customers with religious restrictions that can't consume alcohol at all.
92
While concentrated flavorings have advantages over liqueurs, remember that alcohol has what?
A taste, too. Without the burn from liqueurs alcohol, a product might lack flavor, even when the flavor concentration is of high quality.
93
Do liqueurs come in all flavors and prices?
Yes
94
Do all liqueurs have a predominant flavor?
No, Frangelico, amaretto, or peppermint schnapps do, but other such as Benedictine or Drambuie have a more complex, less easily defined flavor.
95
Should you expect different brands of the same liquor to taste different?
Yes
96
Name two coffee flavored liqueurs.
Kahlúa and Tia Maria.
97
Is price an indication of quality?
No, know what you need.
98
You should think of compounds as what?
Highly flavored food ingredients. They are easy to use and their ingredients contribute to a full flavor profile.
99
Compounds and bases contain what?
Flavorings and sugar added to ingredients such as puréed fruit, chocolate, ground nuts, or ground vanilla beans.
100
What does the quality of a compound rely on?
Ingredients, brands vary widely.
101
What is Marzipan made from? Is it an almond compound?
Ground almonds, sugar, and almond oil; it's essentially an almond compound.
102
Volatile or essential oils in spices are major sources of what?
Aroma
103
True or false: Volatile or essential oils can be purified--distilled or pressed--from the plant and sold separately.
True
104
Flavor oils are highly concentrated and must be used with ______.
care
105
Where are flavor oils most commonly used?
In products where high moisture levels are undesirable, such as chocolate products and pralines.
106
While flavor oils have their advantages, they are not for what? What is? Why?
Everyday use. Instead, extracts are better for everyday use because they are less concentrated and easier to measure.
107
Read labels and you'll see that many flavor extracts are what?
Oils diluted with alcohol. Peppermint, lemon, and almond.
108
The disadvantage of flavor oils.
They provide little more than top notes. They lack a full flavor profile and are best used as a flavor supplement. Example: lemon oil or extract used alone provides the flat flavor of a lemon lollipop. Combined with lemon juice and zest, the flavor becomes rich and full.
109
What are flavor emulsions?
Flavor oils dissolved in water with the aid of a starch or gum.
110
What is the typical starch or gum in flavor emulsions? Why is it easier to add to batters or doughs?
Often gum arabic or xanthan gum; acts as the emulsifier, allowing oil to blend more easily with other ingredients. This makes flavor emulsions easier to add to batters and doughs, for example.
111
Give an example of a dried flavoring.
Vanilla powder.
112
How would you use vanilla powder?
Use in dry mixes, like cake or muffin mixes.
113
Can dried flavoring be natural or artificial?
Yes
114
What are encapsulated flavorings?
Dry spices or flavorings that are specially coated to protect the flavor from moisture, light, heat, and air.
115
Do encapsulated flavoring have a long shelf life?
Longer than that of regular spices and generally survive heat of the oven better than other flavoring.
116
Is reaching for the bottle of extract or the jar of compound the best way to improve flavor of a product?
No
117
How can you improve weak flavor in mousse or cream?
Back off on the amount of thickener, whether it's gelatin, starch, or flour. Thick and heavy products prevent flavor molecules from escaping for taste.
118
Often, a combination of ___ basic tastes provides an interesting flavor contrast in foods.
2
119
Give an example of how 2 basic tastes provides an interesting flavor contrast.
Sour fruit sauce is an interesting contrast to sweet cream.
120
To provide richness and a full-bodied flavor to pastries, what ingredients should you add?
Ingredients that supply middle notes such as eggs, milk, and cream (the most common ingredients pastry chefs use for richness). But consider, too, coconut milk, banana purée, caramelized sugar, and maple syrup for this purpose.
121
Small amounts of what provide depth to fruit flavors?
Aged rum, brandy, wine, and vanilla, as does the slightly "jammy" character from cooked berries, such as raspberries.
122
If flavor in a product disappears too quickly, remember that a full flavor profile includes what?
An appropriate finish, or aftertaste.
123
What could provide the lingering flavor note that a product is lacking?
The pungency and burn of ginger, cinnamon, and other spices.
124
While a strongly bitter aftertaste is unpleasant, a small amount from what ads an interesting after taste?
Small amount of coffee, cranberries, citrus peel, or unsweetened chocolate. As long as it's properly balanced with sweetness.
125
If a fruit sauce isn't fruity enough, consider doing what? Why?
Adjusting the amount of sugar and acid. Each fruit has a characteristic sweet-sour balance that is important to its overall flavor, and sometimes the best way to increase fruitiness is to add a small amount of sugar or acid--or both.
126
If ginger molasses cookies lack a snappy flavor, what should you do? What will happen?
Cut back on the baking soda. The color will tighten and the cookies will spread less, but flavor will improve.
127
Why should you consider layering chocolate with cheese instead of mixing them together in cheesecake?
Cheesecake has a low pH, but chocolate tastes best with a neutral pH. When chocolate is separated from the cheese, the chocolate is at its proper pH. And, there is an added bonus of a flavor contrast between bittersweet chocolate and salty-sour cheesecake.
128
What is vanilla bean paste?
A compound of vanilla extract mixed with the vanilla bean seeds and sugar.
129
Why should you not omit a pinch of salt in any formula that calls for it?
Salt is a flavor enhancer, which means it blends and improves flavors even when the salt itself cannot be tasted.
130
How much is a pinch of salt?
Less than 1/16 teaspoon.
131
Are artificial flavorings sometimes created from sources that sometimes have no relation to the natural flavor?
Yes, this is probably why they are sometimes looked at with suspicion.
132
By law, artificial flavorings must be labeled as what? What about natural flavorings?
Either as artificial or imitation. Likewise, natural flavorings must be labeled as either natural or pure.
133
In the US, liqueurs are regulated by who?
BATF, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, or Firearms.
134
Does the BATF require labeling of flavorings in liqueurs?
No
135
All processed flavoring, including extracts, liqueurs, compounds, oils, emulsions, and powders, can be ______ or ______, or a combination of both.
natural, artificial
136
Most common use for artificial flavoring.
Reduce cost.
137
If using artificial vanilla in chocolate mousse allows you to splurge on real vanilla bean in ice cream, is it worth considering?
Yes
138
Why does low cost no longer necessarily mean low quality?
Because of advances in flavor chemistry.
139
Is imitation almond extract a great substitute for natural almond extract? Why?
Yes, natural almond oil is a very simple flavor, consisting of little more than as single flavor chemical, and it is easily imitated with an artificial flavoring.
140
Why is pure vanilla harder to reproduce than almond?
It consists of hundreds of flavor chemicals to provide deep, rich middle notes in addition to top notes.
141
Some artificial vanilla flavorings consists of only one or two flavor top notes, primarily ______.
vanillin
142
Often, these simple mixtures (artificial extracts) are best at ________ pure vanilla rather than ________ it. This is especially true where vanilla is the predominant flavor, as in vanilla ice cream, vanilla sauce, or Chantilly cream.
supplementing, replacing
143
What many artificial flavoring lack in complexity, they often make up in ______.
strength
144
If an artificial flavoring appears weak, it is because it lacks what?
Full flavor profile.
145
Whenever a flavoring lacks a full flavor profile can you add more?
It is unlikely doubling or tripling it will make up for this lack. Instead, the result will likely be flavor burn.
146
What is flavor burn?
A sharp flavor or an unpleasant sting on the tongue that occurs when flavorings--either natural or artificial--are used at too high a level. It is a common problem with certain artificial flavorings, since they can be abruptly sharp.
147
Is flavor burn an advantage in some situations? Explain.
Yes, the strong taste of artificial vanillin is often needed to balance the equally strong flavors of chocolate. In fact, large numbers of chocolate products contain vanillin in place of pure vanilla.
148
Their robust composition makes many artificial flavorings ideal for baked goods exposed to what? Give an example.
Intense heat. That is why cookies and biscuits, in particular, benefit from the use of artificial flavorings that have good heat stability.
149
Does one single flavoring work equally well in all products?
No, and some bakery products are particularly sensitive to the quality of flavoring used.
150
Resist the temptation to judge the quality of flavoring on ______ alone or by smelling them straight from the bottle.
price
151
How should you evaluate flavorings? What about quick screenings?
In the actual products in which they will be used. For quick screenings, it is acceptable to use simple products. For example, evaluate vanilla flavorings in sweetened condensed milk or whipped cream. Be aware, however, that flavor perception is complex, so don't expect a single flavoring to work equally well in all products. Vanilla that is wonderful in pastry cream may be weak and dull in sponge cake.
152
Flavorings often transform pastry from ordinary to what?
Distinctly different, even memorable.
153
For new ideas on flavors, consider studying what?
The foods of foreign cultures, including Middle East, South America, Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean. You'll find, for example, that a blend of orange, coffee, honey, and spices is a classic flavoring for chocolate in Sicily.
154
Should you read about food trends and popular flavors? Why?
Yes, there you will learn of flavorings--such as rosewater--that were popular with Europeans before the Spanish brought vanilla to the Americas.
155
What can provide a subtle yet important finish in pumpkin pie spice?
Black pepper
156
Should you stray far from the familiar? Explain.
No, customers want variety but they are more comfortable with variations they know; they will always appreciate a well made classic more than an ill-conceived new creation.
157
Many formulas call for flavorings to be added "to taste." Why is this important?
Because different brands of the same flavoring often vary in strength.
158
How can you determine the correct amount of flavoring for something?
Weigh out more than you need, add to taste, weigh again and write down the difference.
159
Fresh herbs last how long?
From a couple days to two weeks, as long as they're stored properly and of good quality when received.
160
How do you keep fresh herbs from wilting and yellowing?
Bunch into a bouquet and place in a cup of water, stem side down. Cover leaves loosely with plastic wrap. Or, wrap leaves in damp paper towels and place in plastic bags in the refrigerator.
161
Do dried spices and other flavorings spoil?
Not as much as they lose or change their flavor and color.
162
Do certain ground spices also cake and clump?
Yes
163
While spices retain some degree of flavor and color for years, they slowly _______.
degrade
164
What accelerates the degradation of spices?
Moisture, heat, light, and oxygen in air.
165
Spices are best stored where?
Covered in a cool, dark spot.
166
Why do whole spices last longer than ground?
They are protected by the spice's natural cell structure.
167
What is the problem with high heat and prized volatile top notes?
It can destroy them.
168
Why it is difficult to eliminate flavor loss completely during cooking and baking, there are several ways to reduce it to manageable levels. Explain.
First, consider supplementing natural flavors with artificial ones designed especially for baking. Also consider encapsulated flavorings for the same reason. Avoid using flavors that contain alcohol, such as extracts and liqueurs. Instead, where flavor loss is a problem, try flavorings that contain non-alcohol solvents, such as glycerin and water. Add flavorings directly to fat. For example, cream vanilla extract into butter instead of adding it to the liquids. Since many flavors dissolve in fat, they are less likely to evaporate when captured by fat. Add flavorings as late in the cooking process as possible. For example, add vanilla extract to pastry cream after it is removed from the heat. Extract added too early evaporates, but if added too late, the alcohol will not evaporate and may detract from the flavor of the cream.
169
With artificial vanilla flavorings, you should select one with what especially heat resistant and stable compound?
ethyl vanillin
170
Does alcohol evaporate easily?
Yes, and it can strip valuable top nots along with it.
171
When handling spices and other flavorings, practice good inventory control. What does this mean?
Only purchase enough for three to six months' use, and follow the FIFO rule. Do not open new containers until ready to use.
172
Are spice containers usually vacuum sealed to exclude oxygen?
Yes
173
American Spice Trade Association makes these additional recommendations for keeping ground spices as long as six months to one year.
- Close containers quickly.
- Measure with dry utensils.
- Store at or below 68ºF (20ºC); if possible, refrigerate.
- Keep away from wet or humid locations, such as wash down areas and dishwashers.
