How to Make Food taste Better

For most people making food taste better can feel like another language altogether. If you don’t cook for a living, and don’t consider yourself a great cook, then some of these strategies could be useful to put some zing into your creations. Here are some great ideas to amp up the taste!  

Secrets of making food taste better

Sometimes it’s the minor touches that happen to make the biggest difference. Make sure that your food is as good as it can be, think texture, colour, and flavour enhancers. This guide will tell you whatever it is you need to know to elevate your cooking and let you in on some of those Chef secrets you wondered about.

1. Garlic

To start with. Here are some secrets of the garlic world. Make sure that you don’t prepare garlic ahead of time. That means, for the best taste don’t buy crushed garlic in tubes or jars. It gets a very pungent sharp taste that is hard to cook out. To be preserved like this it has to have additives that keep it from browning and deteriorating and you simply cannot get great flavour from this type of garlic. It is a strong aftertaste that does not disappear once cooked. Fresh all the way. If it helps buy fresh pre-peeled garlic from a greengrocer and keep it in the fridge ready to go. It keeps for up to 2 weeks peeled. Don’t buy a huge packet. Ensure you don’t burn garlic when stir-frying too, this creates a bitter taste.

 What about onions?

These too can overpower dishes. Not everyone likes the sharp and long-lasting flavour of raw onion. I often talk about washing onions to create a subtle, gentle addition to your dishes. Try this delicious Mushroom salad with Spanish onion or Japanese beef and Rice Bowls

This method of preparing an onion makes them sweet and crunchy and will tame their pungency. Salt them lightly and stand for a minute before adding hot water and leaving for another minute. Drain and use as usual.



  2. Texture Variety

A mix of textures from creamy to crispy, and chewy, can elevate a dish and this is often the secret to making food taste better. Always try to add nuts and seeds, crispy toppings or a dollop of yoghurt or sour cream to create a contrast of texture and temperature. This goes from any dish from salad to mains and desserts. Think about texture as you plan, cook and plate. If you are time poor you can buy great mixes of dukkha, beautiful mayonnaise based dressing, roasted nuts and crispy onions. If you have more time on your hands, roast your own seeds, nuts or additives. This Lamb with carrot salad with mint hommus and crunchy bits



3. Buy Fresh Ingredients

This sounds obvious, but fresh ingredients often have a more vibrant taste. Whenever possible, use seasonal produce and high-quality proteins. Use the best quality you can find for the money you have. Gorgeous fresh fruit and vegetables are more likely found at markets or produce stores rather than supermarkets. Don’t overbuy and end up having to use limp stuff from the crisper. Buy more often. Good breads also make all the difference. Ever heard of Suprima Bakeries? They could be a good solution. Buy fresh more often, you don’t have to buy more expensive produce if you are unable to



4.  Layering Flavors

Build flavours gradually. Sauté onions and garlic before adding other ingredients for a deep flavour base. Ingredients like soy sauce, mushrooms, miso, parmesan, anchovies, or tomatoes are umami boosters and help bring out the savoury, umami flavour that makes food more satisfying. Consider adding sauces or condiments at different stages to build complexity. This can happen not only when cooking but also as finishing touches. This is a chef trick. Use plain or flavoured sea salt flakes at the end as a finishing salt, drizzle dishes with olive oil or flavoured vinegar. Finish grilled meats or vegetables by using a mixture of miso + maple syrup + herbs + lemon and paint quickly onto foods before serving. This adds an extra coating of flavour. It is a secret worth knowing. Go for sweet + salty and sour as a mix. Try these Fast Chicken Kebabs



5. Cooking Techniques

Most people tend to use the same cooking techniques, pots and pans and don’t change it up. Think about cooking techniques to change up flavours.

• Caramelization: Browning onions or meats add a rich, sweet depth of flavour.
• Grilling: Adds a smoky char that can elevate meats, vegetables, and even fruits.
• Roasting: Roasting brings out the natural sweetness in vegetables and intensifies flavours.
• Steaming: Although steaming doesn’t add flavour you can prepare something like fish or seafood or vegetables to receive flavour. When dressings oils or umami flavour mixtures are poured over hot steamed food it wakes them up, they tend to soak up dressing when the food is warm.
• Deglazing: After searing meat, you may notice that there is a caramelized brown bits at the bottom. Pour off excess fat if there is a lot and deglaze the pan with wine, broth, or vinegar to capture all those browned bits because they are added flavour. Often butter can be added to this small amount of liquid and stirred vigorously. This will make a delicious sauce to be poured over anything you are cooking
• Marinating & Brining: Marinate meats and vegetables to infuse them with flavour before cooking. Brining helps meats retain moisture and adds a salty depth. See this simple brining technique

Using and experimenting with some or all of these techniques can help you discover what works best for your taste and encourage you to be able to make food taste better