How do the 6 flavors interact?

The way of seasoning, also known as the means of seasoning, is based on the requirements of the flavor of the dish, for the characteristics of the flavor-presenting substances in the raw materials, selecting the appropriate seasonings, and combining these seasonings in a certain proportion to season the dish, so that the taste of the dish can be formed and determined.
As a single flavor, sweetness is sweetness and bitterness is bitterness, but when two or more flavors are mixed, the flavor may change, or the intensity of the flavor may change. It can either be enhanced or weakened. This is a common occurrence in our daily lives.
The organic combination of taste substances in a condiment to influence the taste substances in the raw material is the way of flavoring. The basic modes of flavoring are multiplication, contrast, counterbalance, and variation. [1,2,3]
Multiplication
Multiplication refers to the fact that when two substances with similar taste sensations enter the mouth, their taste intensity exceeds the sum of the taste intensities of the two substances used alone, and is also known as the synergistic or coordinating effect of taste. People first found this effect on the use of drugs, with two effective drugs to treat a symptomatic disease, the efficacy of the two drugs used together greatly exceeds the efficacy of the two drugs used separately, the most famous example is the cocktail therapy for AIDS, Keast et al. believe that the general rule is that at low concentrations or low strengths of synergistic increase in the effect of the performance.
Example 1, it has been found that the animal freshness of 5-inosinic acid and 5′-guanosinic acid, etc., is significantly enhanced by the use of glutamic acid. A typical example of the unconscious use of the multiplying effect of inosinic acid and glutamic acid is the fresh-flavored juice formerly prepared in Japan from kelp and wood pine fish.
Glutamic acid and inosinic acid multiplication effect is very obvious, for example, in 1% salt solution were added 0.02% monosodium glutamate and 0.02% sodium inosinic acid, the two only salty flavor and no fresh taste, but mixed together they have a strong fresh taste.
Whether in the human taste sensation, or flavor presenting substances in the taste buds cell membrane adsorption surface, in the occurrence of membrane potential measurement, have shown that in monosodium glutamate (monosodium glutamate), the addition of inosinic acid or guanosinic acid can play a multiplicative effect to enhance the fresh taste, so that the fresh taste is greatly improved.

Freshness increased significantly when both monosodium glutamate and sodium inosinate were mixed. The ratio of 1:1 increased the flavor by 7.5 times, and 10:1 increased the flavor by 5 times. Freshness also doubled when only 1% was added. This is the multiplying effect of flavor on taste. Mixing the two not only enhances the sense of freshness and persistence, but also has a significant effect on masking the bitter flavor. Wu Yanwen et al. believe that soma sweet can strengthen the flavor characteristics, so that the aroma of the flavor and spice is more mild, attractive, the duration of the aroma is increased, and the aroma is more intense. There are also related studies commenting that the sweetness of ammonium glycyrrhizinate is 50 times that of sucrose, but when used with sucrose, the terminal sweetness can reach 100 times that of sucrose. The synergistic effect of these substances with sucrose not only reduces the amount of sucrose used, but also enhances the flavor of the product.
In addition, the enhancing effect of maltol on sweetness and its harmonizing effect on any flavor has been applied. [1,2,3] Contrasting effect Taste contrast, also known as taste highlighting, is a flavoring method in which two or more different flavor presenting substances are appropriately blended, resulting in the flavor of the one presenting substance in larger quantity to stand out. Two simultaneous taste sensations are called simultaneous contrast, and the sensation of a new one on top of an existing one is called secondary contrast. The sensations are obviously different because of the different conditions, just as two hands that have held objects of different weights feel heavier when they hold equally heavy objects, and the hand that has held the lighter object feels heavier first. In cooking, the use of a small amount of salt to contrast the freshness of soup, the use of a small amount of salt to increase the sweetness of syrup, and the use of salted water to boil crabs to highlight their freshness, etc., are all ways of using the contrast of tastes to highlight a certain flavor.
Example 1: In sweetness, adding a little salt (salty) will increase the sweetness significantly. When 0.15% salt is added to a 15% to 25% sucrose solution, it is at its sweetest. This is the contrasting effect of salt on sugar. It is interesting to note that if 0.5% salt is added and the salt is overdosed, it is not as sweet as the sugar solution without salt.
Yawei Zhang analyzed the interaction between different flavors and found that mixing a low intensity sweet substance with a low concentration of salty substance resulted in increased sweetness with little or no effect on salinity, see Figure 1. Therefore, a proper ratio of sucrose and salt can add sweetness and reduce the amount of sucrose used. Fig. 1 Forms of interaction between different flavors at low concentration/intensity[1].

Example 2: When the ratio of salt to fresh stock is too small, that is, when the mouth is light, the fresh flavor of the soup will not be obvious. When the ratio of salt to fresh soup is too large, that is, the mouth is heavy, the fresh taste of soup will be covered by the salty taste. Experiments have shown that when the amount of salt added to a certain amount, with the increase in the amount of monosodium glutamate (MSG), the fresh flavor will gradually increase, when the MSG increased to a certain amount, the fresh flavor will decline. This experiment shows that the contrasting role in the flavor substances, there is a certain amount than the relationship, that is, the balance of flavor relationship. What is the most appropriate ratio, it is necessary to experience in practice.

Example 3: Adding acid to a bitter solution makes the solution more bitter
Plant fruits and seeds are sour and bitter during the immature period, which is a powerful weapon of self-protection for the plant to reproduce its offspring. When ripe, they become sweet or non-bitter, which facilitates seed dispersal. Bitter components often have strong bactericidal powers. The contrasting action of taste is not only determined by the order of consciousness in the human brain, it is also related to the taste cells and manifests itself as an alternation of enhancement and inhibition. Offsetting [1,2,3]
Contrary to the multiplication effect, when another flavor is added to the aroma and flavor presenting substance, the flavor presenting intensity of the original substance decreases, which is called the offsetting effect, also known as the flavor masking, killing effect or phasing effect.
Raw materials in the flavor substances, flavorings in the fusion of flavor substances, when the flavor is obviously different when it will produce a significant mutual masking effect. Such as chili oil is very spicy, in which to add an appropriate amount of sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate and other condiments, not only can make the flavor of chili oil can be rich, but also can effectively alleviate its spicy taste. Example 1: in cooking, beef, mutton, aquatic products, viscera products, radish and other raw materials, often with heavy astringent and fishy odor, by heating can only be removed part of it, a more effective way is to eliminate by seasoning, that is, in the heating at the same time to choose the appropriate way to remove the raw materials in the above odor.
The use of flavoring methods to remove the odor there are two ways: one is the use of certain spices in the play of flavor substances to cover, such as ginger in the ginger ketone, ginger phenol, ginger alcohol, cinnamon in the cinnamon aldehyde, onion and garlic in the disulfide, wine in the ethanol, vinegar in the acetic acid, etc., when these spices and raw materials when the heat, the volatility of its volatile substances to be strengthened, so as to dilute the raw materials and cover up the odor;
The second is the use of certain seasonings in the chemical elements of the elimination, such as fish in the body of the oxidation of trimethylamine, was originally the main substance of the fish is fresh, but when the fish died, this substance in the enzyme and bacterial action, and gradually reduced to a strong fishy taste of trimethylamine, the taste of the dishes have a great impact. After analysis, there are two properties of trimethylamine that we can utilize when seasoning. First, it is alkaline and can be neutralized by adding vinegar; second, it is soluble in ethanol and can be dissolved by adding wine. Therefore, cooking fish with wine and vinegar not only produces an esterification reaction to form an aroma, but also kills the fishy flavor in the fish. Example 2: It has been found that spatulin, contained in the tropical plant spatula vine, can inhibit sweetness and bitterness, but has no counteracting effect on sourness and saltiness. Example 3: Taking monosodium glutamate to moderate salty, sour and bitter flavors is one of the offsetting effects. In daily life, because of the presence of glutamic acid so that the salt pickled products with the same concentration of salt solution compared to the feeling of saltiness is not high, such as soy sauce, sauces, salted fish, etc. contains about 20% of salt and 0.8% – 1.00% glutamic acid. Adding a small amount of citric acid to orange juice will make it feel less sweet, and if sugar is added, it will again feel weakly sour. In the clear clear juice and soup seasoning, salty light, can be appropriate to make up for salt or soy sauce, if the salty taste is too strong is not good, at this time, you can add sodium glutamate and other ways to moderate the salty taste. Saccharin is a representative of synthetic sweeteners, the disadvantage is that there is a bitter taste, however, if you add a small amount of monosodium glutamate, the bitter taste can be significantly eased. Example 4: Adding an acidic substance to a salty solution reduces the salty taste. This is the phase-killing effect of acidic taste on salty taste. When 0.3% acetic acid is added to 1%~2% table salt solution, the salty taste decreases substantially. When 0.3% acetic acid is added to a 10%~20% salt solution, the saltiness is reduced even more. This is also commonly used in daily life. Dumpling filling salty dipped in vinegar to eat, with vinegar to solve the salty has been common sense. Example 5: Among the various tastes, only sweet and salty taste kills the most. Sweetness has a soothing effect on sourness, saltiness and bitterness. Lemon, grapefruit, pineapple and other fruits with great acidity, the addition of sugar will greatly reduce the acidity. Coffee is very bitter, and the addition of sucrose to the coffee solution greatly reduces the bitterness and imparts a sense of comfort. If sugar is added to salty flavor, the salty taste will be relatively weakened. Example 6: In 1%~2% salt water, adding 7%~10% sucrose can make the salty taste disappear completely. But in 20% concentration of salt water, any you add how much sucrose, salty taste is difficult to decline more will not disappear. Sugar in food will not only make sour, bitter, salty taste down, and give a sense of richness and long aftertaste characteristics. White wine in the polyol content is very low, the sweetness is also very small, but can play the same role. Example 7: Adding table salt to bitter liquids can reduce bitterness. For example:0.03% caffeine solution (the lowest concentration of bitterness), add 0.8% salt, the bitterness is not reduced but slightly enhanced. If you add more than 1% salt, the salty taste becomes stronger. 0.03% caffeine solution of the bitter taste is equivalent to the degree of tea, if you increase the amount of salt added, although the bitter taste is greatly reduced, but too much when it becomes salty. It shows that there is a limit to the concentration between multiplication and killing. In the flavor of the flavor masking method can be more effective in eliminating the raw materials and seasonings in the people do not like the taste. However, this way may also mask part of the flavor of other flavor presenting substances and produce side effects, so it is necessary to adapt to the situation, such as in the sweet and sour sauce seasoning, in order to make up for the mutual masking of the various flavors, the amount of various seasonings should be used more. [1,2,3] Variation of flavor effects
The interaction of the two taste sensations will make the taste change, especially the first intake of taste to the later intake of taste to cause qualitative changes, this effect is called variegation effect, some people also called variegation effect or obstruction effect. For example, if you drink water when you are thirsty, you will feel sweet, and also if you drink ordinary water immediately after eating very salty food, you will feel sweet. The same is true of drinking a strong astringent solution of magnesium sulfate and then drinking ordinary water. Variation and contrast are both effects in which the first taste affects the second taste, but contrast refers to the sudden strength or weakness of the second taste, while the phenomenon of variation refers to a change in the taste quality itself.
Compound effect[2] When two or more substances are mixed, the aroma and flavor of the single substance can be greatly changed. The changes have positive and negative effects. Example 1: vanillin is the most commonly used food flavors in food, in addition to aroma and has the advantage of high temperature resistance. Vanillin is a cookie flavor when strong. Phenethyl alcohol is the aroma of rosebuds. When the two are mixed in reasonable proportions, it is neither a cookie flavor nor a rosebud flavor, but the characteristic flavor of brandy. Example 2: Ethanol is slightly sweet, acetaldehyde has a soybean odor, and is grassy and astringent when concentrated. The mixture of the two is the dry and spicy flavor of new wine. During the storage period, acetaldehyde volatilization, and its dry spicy flavor is also reduced (which also has alcohol molecules and water molecules bonding problems). Aroma-enhancing effect[2]
Newly produced wines, different flavored wines, formulated wines, etc., the aroma components are very uncoordinated, just like the newly formed soccer team, the players do not cooperate with each other, and need to be integrated. This requires the help of an aroma aid. Auxiliary fragrance like a note of adhesive, it will be a variety of flavor components bonded together to form a whole. Baijiu industry called flavor “embrace”. Only aroma components to form a whole, in order to highlight the unique style of the product. Wine play a role in the ingredients, its own often does not show incense, or fragrance is very weak, or even not only tasteless or odor. However, it is an indispensable role in food and wine. For example, when hundreds of flavors are formulated into a perfume, the various components in the aroma are very uncoordinated and “scattered”. After adding a very small amount of indole, the aroma will be one, but indole is not only unscented or smelly it! Generally, the ingredients that contribute to the aroma are mostly large molecules and slightly viscous, and are used in very small quantities.
Example 1: When 500mg/L of high-grade alcohol is added to a synthetic sake, a very strong smell of mixed alcohols and oils is immediately felt in the sake. This amount is actually much less than that of brewed sake. By adding 1mg/L of trace leucine to the sake, the aroma of the sake was immediately transformed into an aroma that was not only rich in naturalness, but also improved the flavor of the sake significantly.
Example 2: When ethyl caprylate was added to synthetic sake, not only did it not produce aroma, but it also had an oily odor. If α-hydroxyhexanoic acid ethyl ester was added, the oil odor completely disappeared, and the flavor of the sake became a bad aroma. Example 3: When β-phenylethanol was added to synthetic sake, not only was there a lack of naturalness in the sake, but also the smell of grease and greens appeared. It was found that the β-phenylethanol extracted from brewed sake with hot alcohol was mixed with a very small amount of ethyl acetate. As a result, a small amount of ethyl acetate was added to the synthetic sake, and the synthetic sake not only had a natural flavor, but also greatly improved its taste. The addition of flavor enhancers to synthetic sake is desirable, but it is not necessary for brewed sake, and even less so for white wine. Because in the fermentation and distillation process, the proportion of flavor components between the relationship has been very close, only to storage and blending fine-tuning. Now about the large number of flavor components of liquor, which is flavor, which is to help the aroma is not clear. Currently think that white wine in the advanced esters, polyols and other components to help the role of flavor, which is also limited to inference. In the future, the analysis of white wine flavor components, the interrelationship between the flavor components and the role of aroma is an urgent problem to be solved. Food flavor of these interactions is very subtle and complex, both psychological induction, but also physical and chemical effects, due to the concentration of the different substances presenting the flavor, caused by the role of the different, in the appropriate conditions will also be transformed, the mechanism has not yet been studied clearly. But these roles in food flavoring has a very important use of value, can achieve flavor realism, reduce the cost of the role, so we must master and make good use of these flavoring role. Citation:[1] Wang Qiuyu, Zhou Xiaoyan, Xue Panpan, Zhang Haifeng. Research on sugar reduction strategies in meat products. China Flavorings Vol. 46, No. 6 [2] Zhou Henggang. Interrelationship between flavors Brewing Science and Technology. 2003, No. 3 (Total 117) [3] Food Flavorings Technology