The Real Deal: Spices are More Complex than You Think

It may sound strange, but it’s true. Spices cannot be added to a dish in any way, and if they are not added correctly, not only will it be less delicious, but sometimes the appearance of the dish will not be attractive either. Applying these seasoning methods for a while, you will feel the difference when the food becomes much more delicious.

Do you know how to season it properly?

Salt

As a basic seasoning, salt is essential when we season food. Besides its function of adding saltiness to the dish, salt, when combined with sweet ingredients, will enhance the richness of the food. The correct way to season salt is:

– Do not rub salt on food before cooking dry dishes to avoid reducing the sweetness of the food, especially meat and fish.

– When making soup, let it cook for a while so that the sweetness from ingredients like meat and fish is released, then add salt.

– When boiling, after the water has boiled, add salt and then add vegetables and meat to cook. This way, the food will not turn black.

Sugar

Just like salt, sugar is also one of the basic seasonings. Besides adding sweetness, sugar also helps enhance the flavor of the food. However, if you don’t know how to season it, sometimes the food can be less delicious. You should season and marinate sugar as follows:

– For dishes that require sauce, dissolve sugar in the sauce, and pour it into the dish when it is almost cooked.

– For braised dishes, unlike salt, you should marinate the sugar first to let it absorb. During the cooking process, you can add more if you feel it is not tasty enough.

– For soups and stir-fries, add sugar after adding salt to preserve the natural sweetness of the ingredients.

– To prevent the dish from being too sweet, avoid seasoning sugar directly into the dish when it is almost cooked.

Seasoning Cubes

In recent times, seasoning cubes have been used quite a lot. When seasoning dishes with seasoning cubes, you just need to pay attention to 2 points:

– If you have used seasoning cubes, you should reduce the amount of salt so that the dish is not too salty.

– Do not season seasoning cubes when the food is fully cooked, otherwise, the dish will have a strong meaty smell due to the slow dissolution of the cubes.

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)

MSG can be added at any time during the cooking process, but to bring out the best flavor, you should pay attention to the following important points:

– It is best to divide MSG seasoning into 2 times. The first time: marinate it into the food, the second time: season it during cooking.

– For liquid dishes like soup, soak MSG when the dish is almost cooked to help adjust the flavor to be the most complete.

– Do not add MSG directly to cold dishes as it dissolves poorly at low temperatures. For cooled dishes, you should dissolve MSG in warm water before mixing it into the dish. The appropriate temperature to dissolve MSG is about 70 – 90 degrees Celsius.

– Do not season MSG in acidic foods such as vinegar, as MSG does not dissolve easily in an acidic environment.

– Do not season foods that already have natural sweetness like tomatoes, shrimp… as it will make the natural sweetness of the dish disappear and create an unpleasant taste.

Fish Sauce

Housewives often have the habit of marinating meat in fish sauce or adding fish sauce while cooking. However, there are some wrong ways to use fish sauce that we are not aware of, which can reduce the deliciousness of the food as well as deplete many nutrients.

– Do not marinate meat with fish sauce, otherwise, the meat will become dry and tough. Instead, for stir-fries or braised dishes, use other seasonings like soup powder, salt, and sugar to marinate. Fish sauce should only be added during cooking.

– For soups, only season fish sauce when the soup is almost cooked, about to be taken off the heat.

– For braised dishes, braise the meat until it is nearly tender with other seasonings, then add fish sauce and simmer for a short while longer. This way, the meat will not become tough and the dish will be more flavorful.

– There are some dishes that require pure fish sauce during cooking, while others require fish sauce mixed with a little sugar or spices.

Pepper

Pepper is a seasoning that if you can’t eat spicy, it’s okay, but if you can eat spicy, everyone loves it because of its special warmth and spiciness. However, with this seasoning, the best and most correct way is to season it when the food is fully cooked, turn off the heat, and serve it to preserve the aroma, taste, and beneficial characteristics of pepper for health.