Why fat feels rich
Fat does two jobs. It coats your tongue and palate in a smooth film that feels creamy and rich. And many aroma compounds dissolve in fat, so it holds them and releases them slowly as you eat.
Spices dissolve in oil
Many flavor compounds in cumin, chili and garlic dissolve in fat far better than in water. Warm the spices in oil first and the oil spreads them through the whole dish. Dry spice stirred into plain water gives up much less.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Why does full-fat yogurt feel richer than the nonfat kind?
Fat droplets coat and lubricate the mouth. That smooth coating is what reads as creamy and rich.
True or false: Fat has no effect on how strongly a dish smells.
False. Many aroma compounds dissolve in fat, so fat changes how strongly and how long a dish smells.
Fill the blank: Many aroma compounds dissolve in fat, so fat ___ them and releases them slowly.
Many aroma compounds dissolve in fat, so fat holds them and releases them slowly. Dissolved in fat, aromas linger and escape gradually.
What went wrong? You swap heavy cream for skim milk in a pan sauce. It tastes thin and the flavor fades fast.
Less fat meant less coating and less aroma carried. Skim milk has little fat to coat the mouth or hold aroma compounds.
True or false: Frying cumin in oil carries its fat-soluble flavor compounds through the whole dish.
True. Cumin and chili compounds dissolve in oil, so frying them first carries flavor through the dish.
A lean vegetable soup tastes watery. Which small addition helps its mouthfeel most?
A spoonful of butter stirred in at the end. Fat coats the mouth and carries aroma, so the soup feels fuller.