Chemistry / Environment | 35
When flavors bloom:
What happens when we temper spices
S
ome of the richest, most intense flavors are achieved by blooming, or tempering, spices. Integral to South Asian cuisine but applicable to many areas of cooking, the technique involves frying aromatic ingredients in fat before adding them to a dish. To understand how this works, we need to take a closer look at the chemistry of flavors. Flavor comes from volatile flavor compounds, such as capsaicin in chili peppers or thymol in thyme. Volatile compounds are those that evaporate at relatively low temperatures. When we breathe, these airborne compounds enter through the nasal cavity and play a major role in
“
Heat seeds, ground spices, herbs, or garlic in oil or butter over medium-high heat until they smell toasty and fragrant. Then use the mixture in recipes or drizzle it over cooked vegetables.”
how we perceive flavor. However, these compounds are sometimes prevented from evaporating when they are contained within whole seeds or locked in through drying processes. When applying heat to spices during the cooking
BY AUDREY GALLIER, COMPUTER SCIENCE, 2023 DESIGN BY KRISTI BUI, COMPUTER SCIENCE, 2021
process, the compounds dislodge from the spices and more flavor molecules reach our sense organs. Heat is crucial to releasing flavors, but there is another aspect to tempering: fat. Spices bloom best in fat as opposed to water. Most flavor compounds are fat-soluble instead of water-soluble, so oil can extract and absorb more of the molecules and help spread them throughout the dish. In a secondary effect, fat adheres to the tongue more strongly than water, bringing the flavor molecules into greater contact with our taste buds. Since flavor compounds are chemically diverse, including alcohols, aldehydes, and esters, each ingredient may react differently to the process. For example, garlic becomes less intense when cooked because allicin, its main flavor compound, is destroyed by heat, whereas the flavor of thyme can become up to 10 times more intense. Want to try this at home? Heat seeds, ground spices, herbs, or garlic in oil or butter over medium-high heat until they smell toasty and fragrant. Then use the mixture in recipes or drizzle it over cooked vegetables. You will be rewarded with magnificent flavors and a delicious-smelling kitchen! Journal of the Science of Food & Agriculture (2020). DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.10341
California's super blooms: A force of nature BY MAYA KRAUSE, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, 2022
In the springs of 2017 and 2019, the dry hills in southern California exploded into what has become known as a “super bloom,” where thousands of flowers paint the hillsides with vibrant colors in a display that can be seen from space. These super blooms typically occur every 10 years on average and are prompted by winters with high rain and snowfall, leading to abnormally high volumes of wildflower seeds sprouting and blooming in the spring months. The native wildflowers that make their appearance in these displays include orange California poppies, yellow goldfields and desert dandelions, and purple delphinium and lupine. These super bloom events have made tourist attractions out of some of California’s lesser-known protected lands. Parks such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Carrizo Plain
National Monument have seen high spikes in visitors during super blooms. The small town of Lake Elsinore, southeast of Los Angeles, saw over 150,000 visitors over one weekend in March 2019 alone. The perception of these super bloom events as rare and iconic sparked the flood of visitors, who used the natural phenomenon as a backdrop for influencer Instagram posts. The super bloom events also help fuel the local economy as visitors to Anza-Borrego State Park account for over $40 million in revenue to the region. With the anticipated global temperatures on the rise, the reduced snowpack in California threatens the future of this colorful blossom display. As climate change begins to affect desert communities, they will be forced to adapt to the changing conditions of the parks they rely on for local economic support. For now, however, super blooms serve as a reminder that — amongst destruction — nature can also provide beauty. Human Ecology (2020). DOI: 10.1007/s10745-020-00145-5
PHOTOS BY SHUTTERSTOCK
M
ost of the time, the natural phenomena that are visible from space are destructive forces such as hurricanes, volcanoes, and forest fires. But every so often, a beautiful display of flowers illuminates satellite images.
