The Two Most Enhancing Flavors

What spice is most commonly turned to when flavor is lacking in a dish? Salt right? The universal spice that makes everything just a little more flavorful. But, maybe this spice decision should be rethought out, because there's a new flavor powerhouse in town: Umami. Umami, as I learned in this weeks readings, is a fifth flavor compound that has a "meaty" and intense taste. Using ingredients that has glutamate, the chemical compound that gives "umami" items its taste can amp up a dish and make it savory and even more delicious.

Although umami is often seen as a glorious and luxury flavor, MSG, umami's close cousin is seen as completely the opposite. Dishes that contain MSG in them are seen as cheap, fake and people will claim to feel sick after eating it. In the west, this manufactured additive has been blamed for a number of adverse reactions – headaches, sweating, flushing, numbness of the face and neck, palpitations, nausea, chest pain and sleeplessness – known collectively as “Chinese restaurant syndrome”. Restaurants that use MSG don’t brag about it. But, does MSG, a seemingly harmless man-made compound deserve all this negative stigma?

On one hand, yes it does, because for certain people, MSG causes them to have headaches and dizziness. But, on the other hand, people react a certain way after consuming it just because of the stereotype surrounding it. Personally, after I know I've consumed something that contains MSG in it, I blame all sickness or thirstiness afterwards on it. So, do people feign their reaction to eating MSG, or are their reactions legit?

Another flavor that can easily be used to enhance the taste or experience of eating a dish is spice. From adding fresh chili peppers to dipping a food into hot sauce, spice is probably the most versatile flavor and can be snuck into any type of food. Another benefit of adding spice is that it is (most of the time) zero calories and can completely change how a dish is consumed. In my house, the most common sauce that I use is sriracha. Adding a little bit of heat to a food is completely harmless and can amp up a food experience and create a burning sensation. But, “Why exactly would anyone seek out this burning sensation?” The answer to this question can be found in the way our brains are wired. Capsaicinoids, the main compound in a spicy food, trick the brain into thinking it is being burned, which is a painful experience, through the transmission of neurotransmitters. The message is sent from the location it is initially generated to the brain through a network of neurons by talking to each other via neurotransmitters, which are essentially chemical messages. One such message produced by Capsaicinoids is substance P, which transmits pain signals. The brain responds by releasing another type of neurotransmitter known as endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s natural way of relieving pain by blocking the nerve’s ability to transmit pain signals. Additionally, the neurotransmitter dopamine, responsible for a sense of reward and pleasure, is also released.

Consuming spicy food, in a way, is just like a runners high.

Overall, spice and umami flavors are easy ways to enhance a dish in almost the easiest ways possible. For example, if there is a bowl of noodles that are lacking in taste, sprinkling some seaweed or parmesan cheese onto it can kick the flavors into another dimension. Or, if some eggs are a little too bland, adding a dash of hot sauce can give it exactly the spicy flare that was missing just moments ago. Based on the readings from this week, spice and umami are truly the easiest and most versatile flavors to play with in your own kitchen!