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Wednesday 25 December 2013

No Longer Say I Dont Know How To Cook

By Harriett Crosby


To obtain true mastery over the art of cooking you first have to put the notion "I dont know how to cook" aside but to understand appetite and where the instinct comes from. The knowledge of this goes a long way to forming an understanding and a general theory of cooking as an art.

The nerves of the tongue are what allow us to experience taste specifically named the The Bitter, Umami, Sour, Sweet and Salt Receptors. These flavors can then be mixed similar to how colors can be mixed to create a bright and vivid rainbow of tastes. The human body is an incredible machine.

Provoked by the Bitter Receptor the taste of Bitterness is usually a taste that is not enjoyed by most people. Due to poisons usually having a Bitter taste it would seem that this is a defense mechanism to prevent poisoning. Regardless of the dislike by most people, some people do enjoy this flavor and it is usually brought about with Bay Leaf that can then be used to cook in this flavor.

The Sweet Receptor can be activated by common Sugar and is often a necessity in any fine meal. Humans convert sugar to glucose which is used in all the cells of your body. It can also come from the Carbohydrates that are already contained in the meal that you are cooking.

The Bitter Receptor causes a taste that some do not enjoy. It is thought to tie back to a survival instinct where because most poisons are bitter, the taste of bitterness is disliked. When sought for Bay Leaf can be diced to add this Bitter taste to your food.

The Sour Receptor is provoked by Lemon & Vinegar; Vinegar for frying and Lemon for vegetable based meals to add this highly sought after flavor. The Sour flavor seems to conflict with the Umami receptor in such a way that it may be better to pick one or the other.

The Salt Receptor is activated by Salt which is contained in every living organism on the planet. It is found all throughout the oceans where it is extracted and bottled up for your convenience. Salt is a part of any kitchen in the world and is used quite liberally. Almost everything that you could eat is salted but even if it was not salted, it would already contain salt.

The tastes that you experience seem to be a Swash of the different receptors that are active at a time and based upon the activity, different tastes are experienced. From the taste buds an electrical signal is sent up the nerves and into the brain where this rainbow of tastes is all put together. Every different spice has an effect on taste of a meal in some way.

There can be no limit to what you can create if you put yourself in the mindset of some of the most amazing chefs. They keep in mind this constant taste balance and have perfected it over the multiple years, usually decades. Take on a new exciting and innovative recipes or make your own.

Instead of thinking "I dont know how to cook", when you are cooking you must keep all of these receptors in mind and your own experience of that flavor for yourself. You should almost perceive what you are going to create tastes and smells like before you even put it together. By thinking in terms of what the flavor tastes like first and what the ingredients taste like second you can truly master the art of cooking a delicious meal.




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