Loading

Seasoning

Provided By
Share this!
Facebook
The substances added to other foods to enhance their flavor and smell, such as salt, pepper, herbs, spices, oils, and vinegars to name a few. Although the term "seasoning" and "flavoring" are most often considered to be the same, to some they are separate terms. However, it is generally felt that any substance that can be added to a recipe to provide the desired flavor, such as sweet, spicy, intensely hot, sour, tangy, or earthy, is added as a seasoning.

Similar to seasonings and flavorings, spices and herbs can be used interchangeably, since a spice can be a herb and vice versa. However, in addition to the common seasonings there are others that may be considered as more of a flavoring. Therefore, some food items often classified as either a seasoning or flavoring may include any of the following:

  • Herbs - fresh or dried
  • Spices - fresh or dried
  • Fruits - fresh or dried
  • Vegetables - fresh or dried
  • Beverages - juices, teas, wine, beer, milk, and others
  • Sauces and marinades

    Sauces and marinades which are often used as a seasoning or flavoring, result in another category when combinations of ingredients or flavors are classified as seasonings. Foods such as flavored vinegars, mixtures of herbs and/or spices, compound or flavored butters, and flavored oils are also considered to be part of the families of seasonings commonly used to create food dishes that provide a distinctive flavor and sometimes smell to enhance the recipes being prepared.

    A term first used by Asians attempting to identify flavors is the word "umami". Often used to describe foods that are earthy, meaty, robust, pungent, or savory, the term "umami" is also used to describe flavors enhanced by naturally occurring substances in foods such as glutamate, an amino acid that exists within bonito flakes, cheese, fish, kelp, mushrooms, red meat, soy sauce, and tomatoes. If the substance exists in its "free form" and is not bound to other substances, it enhances the flavor, thus providing umami to the foods being prepared.

    Umami is a word commonly used to describe the flavor or taste of foods that are aged or allowed to ferment. Wine and cheese are two food items that may be described with this term, when referring to a strong, robust well-rounded, full-bodied, or meaty flavors. Also, when foods are added as an ingredient, and thus a seasoning to enhance the flavors of other foods such as adding broth, stock, wine, earthy oils (truffle oil) or cheese to a food dish, the food being added may be considered as a seasoning or flavoring. This is due to the fact that it assists to increase the depth of the meat flavors or flavors of other main ingredients in the food dish, making the umami more intense.

  • USDA Nutrition Facts

    Serving Size1 cup
    Calories465
    Protein10g
    Total Fat18g
    Total Carbohydrates63g
    Dietary Fiber5g
    Sugars4g
    Potassium181mg
    Sodium1238mg
    Cholesterol7mg
    Serving Size1 tbsp
    Calories307
    Protein9g
    Total Fat7g
    Total Carbohydrates65g
    Dietary Fiber11g
    Sugars3g
    Potassium684mg
    Sodium27mg
    Cholesterol0mg
    Serving Size0.5 oz
    Calories381
    Protein9g
    Total Fat9g
    Total Carbohydrates73g
    Dietary Fiber20g
    Potassium454mg
    Sodium887mg
    Cholesterol0mg

    Seasoning Reviews

    There currently aren't any reviews or comments for this term. Be the first!
    E-mail: 
    Advertisement
    Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.
    © Copyright 2024 Tecstra Systems, All Rights Reserved, RecipeTips.com