Building and Balancing Flavor

We often hear about 5 main components of flavor: salt, sweet, sour, umami, bitter. This is mostly true, but a little reductive when considering the flavors of meat, peppers, onions, garlic, different spices, etc. The final flavor of any dish is complex and layered, each ingredient contributes to that symphony.

building flavor

primary ingredients

Like main characters of a book, too many can be distracting. The reader doesn't know who to focus on, and as a result, the immersion is not as deep. A dish is the same way, just a few stars need to shine, the rest of the ingredients are there to support the main flavors. For example, burgers focus on the beef, the sauce, cheese, bun, pickles are there to support the beef.

When considering primary ingredients, I often think of the core of the dish, whether it's a meat dish, a veggie dish, or some combination. What protein do I want to focus on? What veggie do I want to focus on? What combinations can go together?

secondary ingredients

This is the supporting cast. It's ok to go a little crazy here, just like how supporting characters bring out different characteristics of the main characters.

Here, I think about the aromatics, the spices, the sauces, that help enhance the flavor of the protein or veggie that I'm cooking. Do I need ginger to suppress the gaminess or fishiness of the protein? What about cooking wine? Does garlic enhance the flavor? (Usually, yes.) Do I want this dish to be spicy, and add chilis, peppercorns, or peppers? Do I want some extra sweetness in this dish? If so, how should that sweetness be incorporated? Does this dish need some extra savoriness? How can I add some ingredients to incorporate that?

balancing flavor

Part of balancing flavor comes down to experience and your feelings, because who else knows what flavors work better together than yourself? But, part of this comes down to a few principles as well:

1. Umami (savoriness) is king. Unless you're making a dessert, umami is core to pretty much every dish. Saltiness and sweetness can help round out and enhance the umami. It's commonly found in most proteins and fats, but also found in some veggies like seaweed, mushrooms, tomatoes (yea, it's botanically a fruit but I use it mostly as a veggie).
2. Funkiness can complement umami. Funkiness is hard to describe, and it often comes in many forms. Most often it comes from some sort of fermentation or aging process. It's a deeper, more complex flavor, that develops over time. Sample ingredients that have funk are things like fermented black beans, kimchi, dry-aged beef, cheese, etc. It adds an extra layer of flavor that goes well with savory dishes.
3. Acid (sourness) cuts through fat. Really fatty dishes can do well with some acidity. Why else are pickles so often found in burgers?
4. Sweetness can help round out spice. It's common to find some sugar in chili oils, and especially in sichuanese dishes. The dishes are still spicy, but the sweetness is there to balance the palate and provide some relief.
5. Sweetness can also help round out acids. A lot of pizza sauces have a little sugar so the tartness of the tomato is not as pronounced.
6. Sour and sweet work well together. Have you ever had a sour patch kid? It's also the core flavor profile of many shanghainese dishes.

final thoughts

Flavor really comes down to what you enjoy, and what works together. Look up common flavor or ingredient combinations. Don't be afraid to put together ingredients no one has done before, as long as you enjoy them.

In the end, how much ingredient should you add so that the flavor adds complexity, but isn't overwhelming? Use your feelings or read a real recipe to get some sort of a guesstimate.