Acid, the Oft-Overlooked Seasoning
Russ Parsons of the Los Angeles Times reminds us that even though we may tend to reach for the salt shaker to add flavor to a dish, the addition of acidity can also work wonders:
Salt is a flavor potentiator—in other words, it works chemically to make other flavors taste more of themselves. Acidity works as seasoning by giving a dish backbone or structure, which allows other flavors to stand out and shine.
Parsons suggests keeping a variety of citrus fruits and vinegars on hand. Mostly important is a good red wine vinegar—he gives instructions for how to make your own out of a good bottle of wine.
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8 Comments:
you just gave away my secret ingredient. i keep white vinegar around and use a splash in everything .... guacamole, stews, creamy sauces, braised veggies....
mh330 at 1:04PM on 02/19/09
This is so true. I'm having a hard time trying to come up with something that doesn't benefit with a healthy squeeze of lemon or lime at the end.
meleyna at 2:20PM on 02/19/09
Good point, I love a squeeze of lime or lemon on just about anything.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 2:39PM on 02/19/09
One of the reasons why Tabasco works so well.
Asado at 3:12PM on 02/19/09
My refried beans last night definitely would have been boring if I hadn't added a healthy splash of vinegar.
BlueCheezit at 4:27PM on 02/19/09
In our house, it's either lime or balsamic vinegar. I can't think of a single dish we make that doesn't have a dash of one or both. I even put lime in our water. The SO drinks nothing but OJ. We love our citrus and it makes everything taste better.
malice88alice at 12:36PM on 02/20/09
Try a lime wedge rubbed over corn on the cob instead of salt - a true revelation.
browngravy at 12:53PM on 02/20/09
If you live in an area where Asian markets are available, seek out some Swatow rice vinegar. It has an exceedingly light, airy flavor, but clearly comes off as rice vinegar and not just trumped-up white vin. Super-amazing stuff.
My cooking tends to always have this cycle of cooking with the foundation spices, then at the end, adding a round of salty/savoriness, and that acidic twist that keeps everything bright and places the top note on a dish. I don't know where I'd be without my beloved limes.
George
Feeding Fashionistas
feedingfashionistas at 2:36PM on 02/20/09