Cooking is an artform that requires a wide variety of skills. From various cooking techniques, knowledge of the ingredients, knife skills, to seasoning and flavouring dishes.
Knowing how to create a balanced seasoning is not as complicated as it sounds. There is a tip to always know how to balance or fix the flavours of a dish and it’s very simple in just 3 steps.
Ever heard of the seasoning triangle? The seasoning triangle consists of 3 parts – umami, acid, and sugar.
The general idea is to always remember these 3 flavour profiles and when you are seasoning your food, think of ways to balance them to create the perfect tasting dish.
The key to remember is to adjust as you cook and taste.
For example, if the dish has become too acidic (sour) from too much citrus or vinegar, balance it out with something sweet. By adding sugar, you are able to cut down on the acidic flavour.
Similarly, if your dish is too sweet; balance with umami flavours and if it is too salty; balance with acid.
Pick and choose which flavours can be added to create that balance and add little by little as you learn to master the art of seasoning food.
The famous unique and spicy Thai green papaya salad (Somtam) is a classic dish that is beloved by many.
It has the perfect combinations of sweet, sour and spicy flavor profiles that is only made better with the addition of some umami.
Adding AJI-NO-MOTO® PLUS to the dish just takes it to a whole other level of deliciousness and completes the triangle.
Ingredients such as palm sugar and long beans used are the sweet elements of the triangle, and it’s balanced with acid; the sour flavours such as tomato and lime juice to cut down the sweetness.
To complete the triangle, ingredients such as dried shrimp and fish sauce are used for some umami flavours.
However, the addition of the AJI-NO-MOTO® PLUS seasoning balances out the flavours while giving you that rich and savoury taste.
If spicy salads aren’t your thing, then fret not! We have other lip-smacking recipes made just for you:
The Seasoning Triangle can be your ultimate kitchen-saviour to help you become a better cook.
It’s all about finding the right balance between the 3 flavour profiles. Be sure to visit our Recipe Biz for more scrumptious recipes!
Ajinomoto Food Biz Partner
