Insider Index

The P-W Store

Interview with Richard Rosendale, Chef at Rosendales Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio

Interview with Mark Lyon, Winemaker for Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery

Educating Your Tongue

Herbs and Spices

February 29, 2008

Educating Your Tongue: an ongoing series about tasting foods and wine

THE FOUR BASIC TASTES (PLUS ONE)

The human tongue can detect four basic categories of flavor: sweet, salt, bitter and sour.  There is a fifth flavor called savory--or by the Japanese word, umami--that should also be included.  Here is a quick reference listing that tells about these flavors and how they connect with wine.

Sweet -  Sweet foods include the obvious things made with sugar along with tropical fruits and honey.  Non-dessert dishes with dominant sweet elements are also included in this category.  Sweetness in food can easily make wine taste sour.  Sweet is the first flavor you can taste and  you sense it on the tip of your tongue.
- Harmonize dishes with a sweet element with off-dry or light, sweet wines.
- Harmonize desserts with a wine as sweet or sweeter than the dessert.

Bitter - These are foods that tend to "grip" the tongue, like strong black tea, walnuts, and grill char.  Arugula, endive, eggplant as well as garlic, shallots, onions, mustard and horseradish are all considered bitter.  Bitter is detected at the very back of the tongue.
- Harmonize bitter foods with moderately tannic (also a bitter taste) wines.  Highly tannic wines will over emphasize bitterness.
- Contrast bitter foods with full flavor, fruity wines.

Sour - Foods are acidic or tart in taste.  They include things like citrus, tomatoes, capers, vinegar, etc.  Sour things are detected about midway back along the sides of the tongue where it is widest.
- Harmonize sour foods with acidic wines.
- Harmonize sour foods with dry wines.

Salty - Salty foods are obviously made with salt or sea salt.  Also included in this group are foods like caviar, oysters, olives and blue cheese.  Salt does not like oak, tannin or high alcohol content in wine.  Try a big 15% alcohol red wine with a salty dish and they both will be harsh.  Salt is detected on the sides of the tongue just past the tip.
- Contrast salty food with acidic wines.
- Contrast salty food with sparkling wines.
- Contrast salty food with off-dry or fresh, fruity slightly sweet wines.

Savory - This is the fifth flavor that relates to food.  Sometimes it is called umami, from the Japanese, as there is really no clear definition for this flavor in English.  Foods like mushrooms, oysters, long-braised meats and other things with deep earthy flavors are considered umami or savory.  Savory foods tend to emphasize tannins.
- Harmonize savory dishes with mature reds whose tannins have mellowed.
- Harmonize savory foods with non-oaked wines.

An extremely important element in any recipe, herbs and spices are often relegated to some dark corner of the kitchen.  Aged well past their prime, they add little to the recipes they are used in.

Starting with herbs, there are several ways to get fresh herb flavor for your cooking.  Growing and drying your own herbs is of course the best.  You can now easily purchase packaged herbs at most markets and still get that bright flavor.  Next, I recommend drying those fresh herbs yourself.  It is as easy as arranging the leaves on a rack or baking sheet, then storing it away in a dark, dry closet for a week or two.  Voila--fresh dried herbs. You will find they retain a lot of that fresh herb taste.  If you don't have the resources for fresh, always buy quality dried herbs from a supplier like Penzey's Spices. www.penzeys.com 

This goes for spices, too.  Good quality makes a difference in taste as does freshness.  Spices over a year old should be thrown away.  Penzey sells spices in 1 oz. sizes that can easily be used up in a year.  If you have to buy a rarely used spice in larger quantity, share some with a friend.

The bottom line on good flavor from herbs and spices is fresh, fresh, fresh. 

Here is a starter list of basic herbs and spices, along with seeds and other flavorings.