3 CLASSES OF SOUR

Tamarind is tangy, Pineapple sometimes tart, and citric fruits are better to describe as sour. The biting sensation of sour flavor makes it a nexus subtle flavor; making it an impeccable flavor in almost any dish. The understanding of sour flavor gives an upper hand in culinary art.

when a taste is not sweet, salty, or bitter but biting and zesting, the sensation is known as sour. Sour can mean good or bad, and for whatever, the flavor is on the extreme. It needs dilution to create a flavor of some sort otherwise, you trash it.

I want to believe it is the least understood flavor, maybe because of its sensation. it is not explored as other flavors. And therefore seen as one and whole. There are layers to sour flavor and, I chose to categorize it into three layers.

Tart — is best used to describe an unpleasant biting sour taste. Tart could mean two things either the food is in an intermittent state or mar.

Tang- is best used to describe a sour taste that is appealing and zesting such as lemonade, salad cream. Like my booster lite drink, see here.

Sour: sour is a flavor sensation that is tart and tang; And generally not sweet.

Here is a list of sour flavor sources

1. Vinegar: are liquid solutions use in cooking. This solution is acetic acid which explains why vinegar is unbearable sour when taken undiluted. To use vinegar, you do not necessarily need to cook it. Vinegar is used in small quantity or, you dilute it to achieve the desired taste depending on the sour flavor its meant to serve

2. Raw cranberry: I have seen cranberries only in a photo, but I have taken several foods made from cranberries, such as cranberry juice and cranberry teabag. They have one thing in common, a distinct sour taste. I believe cranberries are sour and have an unappealing taste, as I have read. Like berries, they are red, small fruits and, because they have an unpleasant taste, there is a need for a minimum level of cooking for it to serve the purpose of a sour flavor.

3. Citrus fruits If there is anything that best describes sour sensation, it’s citrus fruits. These are oranges, grapes, Lemon, limes, and tangerine. However, Not all citrus fruits are sour. Lemons, grapes, and limes are citrus fruits with an organic sour flavor. And are the best agents of sour flavor. Citrus fruits do not necessarily need cooking; with moderation or dilution, a freshly squeezed citrus juice will serve the purpose of sour flavor.

4. Yogurt: yogurt. It is the process of making yogurt that makes it a good probiotic. The resulting taste of the process makes it sour because It is from the fermentation of milk. Yogurt is ideal sour cream and does not need cooking.

5. African velvety tamarind Here in northern Nigeria, we call it tsamiya biri. Children of all ages lick this fruit. It is known for its sweet-sour taste. It’s a sued black pod. In it, is a pale orange plum — which is the tsamiya biri.

It is good for fruit salad or simply lick for a natural sweet-sour flavor.

I believe they’re other good sources of sour flavor. I am on the look out for it and you should too. Have you tried using sour as compliment seasoning in any of your dish.

Originally published at https://www.meenamblends.com on May 4, 2021.