Great, well-loved dishes out there may have the simplest of ingredients, but what makes them stand out is the intricacy of flavours.
Fats, sodium and aromatics are the easiest way to give food flavour, but too much of a good thing is often bad — resulting in what is colloquially called jelak, the feeling that arises when you have had too much of a particular food that is so rich in flavour, it turns nauseating instead.
When cutting back both sodium and fats, one might wonder if the dish would turn out wholesome and flavourful. The trick is to tap into the five basic tastes: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami (savouriness). Utilizing a combination of herbs, spices, acids, different types of seasoning can give your favorite recipe greater umami, depth, and prevent them from tasting flat. It can also help some items soften or season in the process. Let’s get started by learning how to layer flavours!
Layer in a bit of acid when a recipe needs to be brightened or lightened. A dash of sourness helps encourage appetite. Ingredients to consider include: citrus, vinegars, lime leaf, ponzu sauce. Here’s how you can make your own spicy, sour appetisers for a refreshing way to kickstart a meal, watch and learn how this recipe cleverly layers lime juice over a plethora of spices
When you layer sweet ingredients into a savory recipe, balance it with something acidic. Sweet and sour sauces are commonly featured in Asian cuisine, and go great with fried foods. Sweet soy sauce is also an option, which combines well with AJI-SHIO® Flavoured Pepper! Check out how you can elevate beef via this recipe.
Bitter is a learned taste. In small amounts, bitterness can be intriguing and help cleanse the palate. It stimulates your taste buds without being overpowering, giving you a nice little boost to better taste your next bite. Caramelised onion is a common condiment or topping for this reason, its bittersweet taste balancing out grease and umami. Try some with a burger today!
Assertive ingredients have strong flavors. They keep a dish from tasting monotonous. Powerful flavours from chilli- and wasabi-type condiments come to mind immediately, as do onions, garlic, and ginger, a common feature of dishes with sambal. Layer your dishes with this flavour and you might notice a decreasing need for salt!
Umami adds an intense base note that contributes to flavor depth. Ingredients like soy sauce, miso and ripe tomatoes contain umami. MSG, or AJI-NO-MOTO® harmonizes flavours ranging from sweet, sour, to even spicy notes. Find out how AJI-NO-MOTO®helps draw out the best of shrimp paste, tamarind, and various herbs in this recipe for Laksa Utara.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_single_image image=”8843″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” parallax_scroll=”no” woodmart_inline=”no”][vc_column_text woodmart_inline=”no” text_larger=”no”]Pro Tip: Using MSG to layer flavour and reduce the use of sodium
A popular seasoning and flavor enhancer, MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is the purest form of umami, the fifth taste. With a long history of use around the world, and backed by extensive scientific research, MSG is completely safe for consumption. A blend of one part MSG and two parts table salt decreases sodium by 25%, and maintains savory deliciousness. It is also known to harmonise flavour notes in dishes, giving it depth and body.
Come journey with us to discover more ways to utilise AJI-NO-MOTO® , TUMIX®, and AJI-SHIO® to level up your cooking game! Join us as a Ajinomoto Food Biz Partner member today for more tips and tricks.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px” woodmart_hide_large=”0″ woodmart_hide_medium=”0″ woodmart_hide_small=”0″ woodmart_hide_extra_small=”0″][vc_row_inner disable_element=”yes” woodmart_css_id=”62ccf5afee3ac” responsive_spacing=”eyJwYXJhbV90eXBlIjoid29vZG1hcnRfcmVzcG9uc2l2ZV9zcGFjaW5nIiwic2VsZWN0b3JfaWQiOiI2MmNjZjVhZmVlM2FjIiwic2hvcnRjb2RlIjoidmNfcm93X2lubmVyIiwiZGF0YSI6eyJ0YWJsZXQiOnt9LCJtb2JpbGUiOnt9fX0=” mobile_bg_img_hidden=”no” tablet_bg_img_hidden=”no” woodmart_parallax=”0″ woodmart_gradient_switch=”no” woodmart_box_shadow=”no” wd_z_index=”no” woodmart_disable_overflow=”0″ row_reverse_mobile=”0″ row_reverse_tablet=”0″][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″ woodmart_css_id=”62ccf57a9396e” parallax_scroll=”no” woodmart_sticky_column=”false” wd_collapsible_content_switcher=”no” wd_column_role_offcanvas_desktop=”no” wd_column_role_offcanvas_tablet=”no” wd_column_role_offcanvas_mobile=”no” wd_column_role_content_desktop=”no” wd_column_role_content_tablet=”no” wd_column_role_content_mobile=”no” mobile_bg_img_hidden=”no” tablet_bg_img_hidden=”no” woodmart_parallax=”0″ woodmart_box_shadow=”no” responsive_spacing=”eyJwYXJhbV90eXBlIjoid29vZG1hcnRfcmVzcG9uc2l2ZV9zcGFjaW5nIiwic2VsZWN0b3JfaWQiOiI2MmNjZjU3YTkzOTZlIiwic2hvcnRjb2RlIjoidmNfY29sdW1uX2lubmVyIiwiZGF0YSI6eyJ0YWJsZXQiOnt9LCJtb2JpbGUiOnt9fX0=” wd_z_index=”no”][vc_single_image image=”8152″ img_size=”full” alignment=”right” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” parallax_scroll=”no” woodmart_inline=”no” link=”https://www.ajinomotofoodbizpartner.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Top-20-Bazaar-Ramadan-Menus-to-Help-Start-Your-Business-1-1.pdf”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″ woodmart_css_id=”62c67d03c37d4″ parallax_scroll=”no” woodmart_sticky_column=”false” wd_collapsible_content_switcher=”no” wd_column_role_offcanvas_desktop=”no” wd_column_role_offcanvas_tablet=”no” wd_column_role_offcanvas_mobile=”no” wd_column_role_content_desktop=”no” wd_column_role_content_tablet=”no” wd_column_role_content_mobile=”no” mobile_bg_img_hidden=”no” tablet_bg_img_hidden=”no” woodmart_parallax=”0″ woodmart_box_shadow=”no” responsive_spacing=”eyJwYXJhbV90eXBlIjoid29vZG1hcnRfcmVzcG9uc2l2ZV9zcGFjaW5nIiwic2VsZWN0b3JfaWQiOiI2MmM2N2QwM2MzN2Q0Iiwic2hvcnRjb2RlIjoidmNfY29sdW1uX2lubmVyIiwiZGF0YSI6eyJ0YWJsZXQiOnt9LCJtb2JpbGUiOnt9fX0=” wd_z_index=”no”][vc_single_image image=”8151″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” parallax_scroll=”no” woodmart_inline=”no” link=”mailto:?subject=Ajinomoto Food Biz Partner&body=Recipe URL: https://www.ajinomotofoodbizpartner.com.my/top-20-bazaar-ramadan-menus-to-help-start-your-business/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner woodmart_css_id=”62c67d57256b8″ responsive_spacing=”eyJwYXJhbV90eXBlIjoid29vZG1hcnRfcmVzcG9uc2l2ZV9zcGFjaW5nIiwic2VsZWN0b3JfaWQiOiI2MmM2N2Q1NzI1NmI4Iiwic2hvcnRjb2RlIjoidmNfcm93X2lubmVyIiwiZGF0YSI6eyJ0YWJsZXQiOnt9LCJtb2JpbGUiOnt9fX0=” mobile_bg_img_hidden=”no” tablet_bg_img_hidden=”no” woodmart_parallax=”0″ woodmart_gradient_switch=”no” woodmart_box_shadow=”no” wd_z_index=”no” woodmart_disable_overflow=”0″ row_reverse_mobile=”0″ row_reverse_tablet=”0″][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image=”8151″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” parallax_scroll=”no” woodmart_inline=”no” link=”mailto:?subject=Ajinomoto Food Biz Partner&body=Recipe URL: https://www.ajinomotofoodbizpartner.com.my/top-20-bazaar-ramadan-menus-to-help-start-your-business/”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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