Crunchy, Chewy, Creamy, Flaky, Crispy, Tender

When I think about my favorite sandwich, a breaded pork tenderloin, what comes to mind is a complex taste sensation. As I bite into it, first, there’s the fresh bun, then the crunch of the crust of the fried pork followed by the juicy meat inside. It’s complemented by a slather of creamy mayonnaise on the bun, the taste of sliced tomato, a cool crinkle of fresh lettuce, and a contrastingly sour dill pickle slice. Bite, crunch, chew. A gustatory delight. I get a similar pleasurable sensation when I eat my Caesar salad. There’s the complex flavor of the mix of lemon, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil dressing as you bite into the cool, crunchy pieces of romaine lettuce. And, as you continue, there’s also the contrast with the dry, crisp-crunch garlic croutons.

The idea here is that we often overlook one of the most important dimension when we’re preparing food: the physical texture, according to food scientist Ole Mouritsen, author of Mouthfeel. What about that dish, if any, provides that crunchy or creamy or chewy or crispy characteristic? It’s important because when we chew, we’re releasing flavors as a result of the breakdown of the food and the cooling effect of melting. Science says it reaches a crescendo just as we swallow.

Explaining your taste buds

Scientists studying this phenomenon say that when food enters our mouths it crosses an area that contains a very subtle system of sensors that can detect a range of stimulation. You release aroma compounds that differ when you chew versus when you don’t have to chew. Liquid foods are more about how the food flows and the temperature changes and perceptions of smooth, creamy, fatty, or slippery as it passes across the tongue. Individual reactions to these stimuli are dependent on previous experience including culture, traditions, expectations, and reality.

Culturally, the Japanese pay more attention. They have 400 words for various food textures, whereas English has about 80. Notice how the Japanese take so much care with the presentation and texture of fish. Texture is why Japanese cuisine includes seaweed and jellyfish in dishes or why they accompany various dishes with pickled cucumbers, eggplant, or daikon (tsukemono).

Now, Americans, particularly the big food manufacturers, seem to be paying more attention to these elements. So are chefs. Mario Battali has noted that “crispy” sells more food than almost any other adjective. To make food crisp, the water in the cells of the ingredient needs to evaporate, and the easiest way is contact with hot fat. The fat needs sufficient heat; otherwise, the food absorbs oil. That’s my breaded pork tenderloin: It’s cooked in hot oil.

A few cooking tips

Heat is also important in tenderizing food. Slow, gentle heat works for foods that are tough and dry such as grains and starches, some meats, and dense vegetables. Foods already tender (some meats, eggs, and delicate vegetables) should be cooked as little as possible. And when it comes to vegetables, understand that acids keep vegetables and legumes or anything containing cellulose or pectin tougher for longer. Make sure you cook them before adding tomatoes, citrus, or vinegar.

Want to cook something creamy? You’ll need fat and an emulsifier such as mustard or egg yolks to make the emulsion more stable. As for fats, they can be used to adjust flavor or enrich texture to make it more flaky, creamy, or light. Think how sour cream can add richness to soup, how mayonnaise increases the succulence of a BLT, or simply how butter increases the taste sensation of bread.

Any baker will tell you that baking has its own complex chemistry related to flour, liquids, and fat. That’s because when you combine flour and a liquid, the gluten in wheat proteins links up to form long chains. As you work the dough, the chains develop strong, extensive webs. If you want chewy baked goods, that’s your strategy. On the other hand, to get flaky pastry with that wheat flour, use fat to inhibit the strands from sticking to one another.

And to think that with just a few of these tricks, you could raise some extra smiles and surprised looks from people around your table!

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