Have you ever noticed how many recipes start by cooking onions, garlic, and carrots along with some oil? If you look closely, these items are all in a group called aromatics. These are ingredients that can take your meals to the next level—simply use them to add incredible flavor and depth to your dishes.
A Quick Guide to Aromatics: How They Can Elevate Any Recipe
Aromatics are a blend of ingredients that are often found in the same category of the produce aisle. Onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and shallots are all examples of aromatics, often used in soup and stew recipes. They are also used to add flavor to other recipes, so you can use these ingredients in various ways.
Aromatics also come in the form of herbs, and whether fresh or dried, they are usually strong and full of flavor.
Onions, garlic, and bell peppers are used in many cuisines around the world and are key ingredients in so many different dishes. Fresh onions and garlic are likely in your refrigerator, and you’ll likely see carrots, celery, and bell peppers in your favorite recipes.
Popular Aromatic Combinations
As you see in the list of ingredients above, a variety of items can be categorized as aromatics. However, there are some combinations that are used more frequently than others.
Onion, celery, and carrots make up the holy trinity of aromatics, and they are often used to flavor soups and stocks.
For a flavorful, aromatic stir-fry, add ginger and garlic, which have similar flavor profiles. This can be used in many different cuisines.
You can add zest to your soups with garlic and your favorite herbs.
If you love the taste of Indian food, experiment with combinations of spices, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne pepper.
The key to adding a good amount of flavor with aromatics is to use them regularly. If you are cooking something from scratch, add them early on so that they have time to bloom and release their own flavor.
How Are Aromatics Used?
There are a few different ways that aromatics can be used, depending on your recipe.
Searing the aromatics (cooking them in oil at a high temperature for a short period of time) is used for a variety of different cuisines but has a special role in Asian cooking. Take a look at this video for a quick lesson in searing.
Some recipes call for sautéing the aromatics. This is also a common technique in Asian cooking and is done in order to add texture to the dish.
Finally, aromatics can be roasted. Typically, this is done on high heat, which allows you to get a lot of flavor from the ingredients. This technique is used in many different cuisines, including Italian and French cooking.
Conclusion
Aromatics are a great way to elevate the flavor of any dish. If you’re looking for a way to add a little extra flavor to your next meal, experiment with incorporating onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. You will add an extra layer of deliciousness to anything you cook.
If you are looking for seasoning spices to level up your recipes, come to Castle Foods. Castle Foods is an importer, processor, and purveyor of spices, capsicums, herbs, and aromatics. Shop with us today!
