Five Flavors of Food

Catch 35

Five flavors of foods

Energize your taste buds this year by exploring flavors in a new light. Understanding what these flavors are and what foods are rich in them, may make for a tastier dinner at Catch 35, a premium steak and fresh seafood restaurant in Chicago & Naperville. Our chef designs the menu with these flavors in mind. The trick is in balancing these flavors to make for delicious meal.

Sweet flavor is probably the most common and favorite flavor of all. Most foods have hints of sweetness in them. This flavor can be found in milk and milk products (like butter and cream), most grains (especially wheat, rice, and barley), many legumes (like beans and lentils), sweet fruits (such as bananas and mangos), and certain cooked vegetables (such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets).

Sour flavors are most noticeable in acidic foods. This flavor makes our eyes squint and our lips pinch. It is commonly found in citrus fruits (such as lemon and limes), sour milk products (like yogurt, cheese, and sour cream), and fermented substances (including wine, vinegar, pickles, sauerkraut, and soy sauce).

Bitter flavor while not appealing on its own, helps bring out other flavors. It is found in green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, green cabbage), zucchini, eggplant, herbs, spices (tumeric and dandelion root), coffee, tea, beer, and fruit ( grapefruit, olives, and bitter melon).

Salty is the flavor that is produced by foods that have sodium ions present. Bread, cured meats, cheeses, noodles, brined or pickled vegetables, nuts, dressings, or sauces are foods that dominate the salty flavor category.   Too much or too little salt can make or break any meal. Coupling the salty flavor with umami or sweet or bitter balances a dish.

Umami is the pleasant savory taste given by glutamate that is naturally present in most foods, such as meats, seafood, and vegetables. This flavor is subtle and blends well with other tastes to expand and round out other flavors. It plays an important role in making some of your favorite foods delicious.

Foods that rich in umami are:

Seafood                                                                                Vegetables

Kombu (brown algae used for dashi)                          Tomatoes

Seaweed                                                                                  Shiitake mushrooms

Dried bonito flakes                                                              Truffles

Small dried sardines                                                           Soy beans

Bonito (dried/fermented fish)                                        Potatoes

Mackerel                                                                                 Sweet potatoes

Tuna                                                                                          Carrots

Cod                                                                                             Chinese cabbage

Prawns

Squid

Oysters                                                                                     Meat

Shellfish                                                                                   Beef

Pork

Chicken

Other

Parmesan cheese

Green tea

Soy sauce

Chicken egg

Oyster sauce

Most importantly is making meals that achieve a balance of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami.   Some of our favorite foods leave us with a sensory experience that has layered these flavors together. When deciding what to eat tonight be it ordered from a menu or cooked at home, remember to choose dishes that incorporate the 5 flavors of the tongue to enhance your dining experience.

These flavors are incorporated into every dish at Catch 35 located in the heart of Chicago’s theater district. If your heading our way today, the chef recommends the seared George’s Bank scallops with the braised short ribs hash (red potatoes, roasted garlic, pickled shallots, portabella mushrooms, and mushroom soy sauce) topped with a caper aioli. See you soon!