Edwards recommends using encapsulated flavors when a product will be subject to high temperature or held for a long period of time. “For an oven-baked application, an encapsulated flavor would be the best flavor system. While there may be some flavor loss, encapsu-lated flavors are, for the most part, highly resistant to the heating process. This is also the best option for products expected to have a long shelf life.”
Encapsulation can also control flavor release over time. In chewing gum, “every time a crystal is masticated, flavor is released,” says Cosmos. “The solubility is also very important in that when the flavor becomes truly incorporated into the product, it will release again during the chew.” Patent-pending encapsulation technology captures the flavor’s key components and enhances flavor stability so they can withstand high shear, grinding, blending and freeze/thaw processes because it holds volatile flavor components at the molecular level.
“Spray-dried flavors would be a good choice for off-the-shelf dry packaged food, particularly to maintain a shelf life,” says Edwards. “In the instance of canned soup, either a liquid or dry flavor would work fine. However, if there are cost restraints, a liquid flavor would be more cost effective.”
Cola-type flavors in finished beverages best exemplify flavor optimization. According to Dandrea: “When the core oil-soluble ingredients such as citrus and spice oils are encapsulated in an emulsion, the fat-soluble ingredients that help to provide additional mouthfeel will create a full-flavor sensation. If the same cola oil blend is washed or stripped of most of these fat-soluble materials, the end flavor system is primarily left with only the aromatic compounds. The end result leaves a very different flavor perception experience.”
In any system, the flavor must be delivered and applied in sensible quantities. “If, for instance, a highly concentrated flavor is used, there is greater risk of improper dosage and distribution in the end product,” says Dandrea. “This reinforces the need for flavors that are properly concentrated and suited for the finished product. Ultimately, the flavorist and food product developer can work together to maximize flavor delivery to create great tasting and appealing products.”
Whatever the technique used to get there, “I think the goal that we’ve got is to create products that will have the maximum enjoyment by the intended consumer,” says Reid Wilkerson, president, McClancy Seasoning Co., Fort Mill, SC. “Or in the words of one of my good friends, ‘If the cash register is ringing you did it right.’”
Cindy Hazen, a 20-year veteran of the food industry, is a freelance writer based in Memphis, TN. She can be reached at
cindyhazen@cs.com
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A Chef’s Perspective
In the kitchen or on the bench, the key to maximizing flavor is to look at its foundation first. “Use your building blocks of flavor,” says Robin Stotter, director of culinary, research & development, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Scottsdale, AZ. “In most dishes, you want to round out and balance those fla-vors. Look at the desired end results, whether sweet, savory or a combination of the two.”
Using an example of simple stir-fried vegetables, Stotter recommends picking vegetables by flavor and color. “You want color, because you want to appeal to the eye.” Maybe you have some bitter greens with some sweeter greens that, when you subject to high heat, you’re going to bring out some caramelization of the natural sugars.” When selecting a sauce to finish this dish, he suggests a combi-nation of ingredients with sweet, bitter and sour flavors, such as wine, soy and citrus. In this case, the soy will provide salt. “You would finish with a little sesame oil for some aromatics and then you can garnish with fresh herbs like cilantro or Thai basil,” he says. “Then add a little bit of white pepper for some heat. Spicy is really something that you want to touch on. It helps open up the palate and allow flavors to get in.”
This stir-fried dish describes the thought process “that goes into a dish that seems as simple as vegetables,” says Stotter. “There’s a big difference between a great vegetable dish and a good one.”
Chinese cooking provides a foundation for understanding flavoring concepts because it is “simple, but complex in its simplicity,” Stotter continues. Wok-seared chicken is a more-intricate example. It be-gins with marinated chicken that is then cooked in vegetable stock, a method known as stock “velveting.”
Stotter usually starts out with chile, ginger and garlic, because “those are the foundations of aromat-ics that then can give a fundamental basis to a more-complex sauce. Then I’ll bao syang those things. Bao syang is a term like sauté; it means to open up flavor.”
The ultimate goal is create multiple layers of flavor. “I’m not going after one sweet, I’m going after two or three different sweets. I’m going after two or three different bitters. I’m going after two or three different sours,” says Stotter. This might be achieved with a sauce that balances citrus, wine, vinegar and soy. In some sauces, he might add a hoisen sauce. Chinese cuisine also often incorporates ketchup.
With the sauce on the side and the chicken cooking in the stock, Stotter will add vegetables, such as peppers, onion and asparagus, to the aromatics he’s bao syang. Then he’ll add 4 to 5 oz. of sauce. “When the sauce hits this hot pan that’s already filled with the vegetable and this ginger, chile and garlic, you’ve got all these intense flavors going on.”
To balance and finish the sauce, it may be necessary to add a small amount of sugar to caramelize. “Now I’ll take the stock-velveted chicken, lo mein noodles that have been blanched in vegetable stock, and I’ll toss everything together in the sauce in the wok. Then I’ll add a little bit of sesame oil at the end.” The completed dish is plated and garnished with toasted sesame seeds and some scallions. “Now I’ve got four layers of flavor built in to this dish, and I didn’t add any salt.”
Balance is not just for Chinese food―the same techniques work across the board. Take seasonings, for instance. “The ideal way to use a seasoning blend,” advises Reid Wilkerson, president, McClancy Seasoning Co., Fort Mill, SC, “is for someone to eat it and go, ‘I really like this but nothing really is distinctive or sticks out or is out of balance.’ The key to that is careful analysis of your intended flavor profile. The ideal thing someone once told me is ‘I’d like to know what’s in this. It’s really good but I can’t tell what it is.’ If you’ve gotten that out of people on a flavor panel…then you’ve really done a good job.”