Overview

Why does a strawberry taste like a strawberry? It’s not magic; it’s a specific mix of 300 molecules. Flavor Chemistry is the art of identifying these molecules and recreating them. It is why “Banana” candy tastes like a banana (sort of).

Core Idea

The core idea is Volatiles. Taste is limited (Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Umami). Everything else is Smell. Volatile molecules fly out of the food, go up the back of your throat (retronasal olfaction), and hit your nose. That is flavor.

Formal Definition

The analysis of volatile and non-volatile compounds that produce the sensation of flavor.

Intuition

  • Tongue: The hardware. Can only detect 5 signals.
  • Nose: The software. Can detect 10,000+ signals.
  • Flavor: The brain combining the two. If you hold your nose, an apple tastes the same as a potato.

Examples

  • Vanillin: The main molecule in vanilla. We can extract it from beans (expensive) or make it from wood pulp (cheap). 99% of vanilla flavor is synthetic vanillin.
  • Esters: The fruity smells. Isoamyl Acetate = Banana. Ethyl Butyrate = Pineapple.
  • Durian: The smelly fruit. It contains high levels of sulfur compounds (like rotten eggs) mixed with fruity esters. Some people love it; some hate it.

Common Misconceptions

  • Artificial flavor is fake: The molecule Vanillin made in a lab is identical to the molecule Vanillin in a bean. The body cannot tell the difference.
  • MSG is bad: Monosodium Glutamate is just the salt of an amino acid (Glutamate). It is found naturally in tomatoes and cheese. It is the essence of Umami (savory).
  • Threshold Value: The smallest amount of a molecule you can smell. For Green Bell Pepper (Pyrazines), it is one drop in an Olympic swimming pool.
  • Terroir: How the soil and climate affect the flavor chemistry of wine.

Applications

  • Impossible Burger: They found the molecule that makes meat taste like meat (Heme). They extracted it from soy roots and added it to a veggie burger. Now it bleeds and tastes like beef.

Criticism / Limitations

  • Complexity: Real food has thousands of trace compounds. Artificial flavors usually only use the top 10. That’s why they taste “flat” or “candy-like” compared to the real thing.

Further Reading

  • Reineccius, Gary. Flavor Chemistry and Technology.
  • Crosby, Guy. The Science of Good Cooking.