| In culinary school, chefs are often taught to add salt early in the cooking process, notes David Kasabian, chef and co-author of “The Fifth Taste: Cooking with Umami.” However, he suggests, in foodservice “you can often get the same results with less sodium if you salt lightly during prep, and then sprinkle a little more on the food just before serving. The sprinkled salt creates immediate sodium impact that lingers in the mouth, so the consumer perceives salt throughout the dish.” Emphasizing other tastes is another option. “You can increase acid with vinegars, citrus or wine,” he says. Kettle Cuisine, Chelsea, MA, makes all of its own stocks using fresh bones loaded with natural minerals that function as flavor enhancers. “We start with fresh bones in cold water,” says Volker Frick, executive chef, Kettle Cuisine. “When the water starts to turn pink, we know the water is doing its job of leaching out the minerals,” he says. “We also use lots of natural herbs, and fresh whenever possible. And when we finally add salt, it is near the end, after the product is evaluated for its flavor profile. If salt is needed, we only add natural sea salts, as they not only contain sodium, but many of the other minerals that enhance flavor.” Many believe that “fresh” means more flavor. “Add more fresh spices for flavor, and don’t forget that fat is flavor, too. A little bit can go a long way,” says Judson McLester, corporate chef, Wixon Inc., St. Francis, WI. Consider umami, too. He suggests umami can enhance everything from apple pie to savory sauces. “Umami amplifies our perception of salt,” notes Kasabian. Therefore, he suggests, with astute use of umami-rich ingredients, “food formulators and chefs can reduce sodium and still produce a great-tasting product.” Cooking can add depth of flavor. “Caramelizing onions and adding them later in the cooking process has a huge impact on flavor, which means less salt can be added,” says Hunter. In some cases, cooking catalyzes amplified umami “Simmering ingredients also draws out natural flavors and minerals that give these flavors a boost. Cooking mushrooms frees up amino acids and contributes umami to any application. The mushroom juices can be concentrated and added near the end of processing for an intense umami sensation. Because all mushrooms contain amino acids, if mushroom is not a characterizing flavor of the application, using a low-flavor mushroom provides umami without much mushroom flavor. And it’s all-natural.”
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