Flavour is more than just taste—it's a mix of senses like smell, colour, and texture.
Beyond being a mere sensation, it is a fusion of chemical compounds that shape the culinary experiences we all love.
The Chemistry of Flavour:
At its core, flavour is chemistry in action. From the intrinsic taste of food to the nuanced impact of natural and artificial additives, all are composed of small chemical compounds. Despite the negative connotations often associated with chemicals, it's crucial to recognise that everything we encounter, from water to sugar and baking soda, is fundamentally a chemical compound. The unique chemical properties of flavouring substances enable them to react with each other during cooking and bind with taste receptors in our mouths.
Natural vs. Artificial Flavours:
The FDA distinguishes between natural and artificial flavours based on their origin, with the former being derived from natural sources like plants and animals. However, this distinction has no bearing on safety, health, or deliciousness. In fact, artificial flavours, produced in controlled laboratory settings, often surpass their natural counterparts in purity and environmental sustainability. The meticulous quality control they undergo ensures their safety and consistency.
The Organoleptic Profile + Flavour Pyramid:
Understanding the importance of the organoleptic profile is key to crafting a delectable food or drink product. It involves considering the involvement of various senses in the development process, beyond just taste.
Breaking down flavour into base, heart, and top notes is a fundamental aspect of product development. The flavour pyramid serves as a practical tool in this pursuit. The foundation flavours at the base, constituting 5% of the total mix, provide depth and roundness. Heart notes, comprising around 1%, add complexity, keeping the taste lingering. At the top, the essential top note shapes the overall taste experience, leaving a lasting impression.
So how are we navigating flavour in our coffee free coffee?
Making coffee without traditional beans raises questions about achieving a similar taste. It is about mimicking certain elements of coffee, like colour and aroma, using a complex process involving factors such as fermentation time, temperature, and aeration.This includes manipulating fermentation time, temperature, and aeration to develop flavour compounds from alternative ingredients.
As we continue on our product development journey we'll continue to update as tweak the ingredient ratios and fermentation length until we get it spot on!
