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Flavour = Taste + Aroma
Basic Taste = Salt, Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Umami and Fat
Irritants Heat (Chilli, Pepper, Mustard) Cooling (Menthol) Metallic Aroma = 10,000 + volatile chemicals (*menthol, mustard are also aroma compounds!)
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For an aroma compound to be smelt it needs to be volatile Aroma compounds have different strengths, so a combination of vapour pressure and threshold value determine the strength of their odour. Another factor is the partition coefficient. If an aroma compound dissolves in a solid or liquid then its concentration in the air above is reduced and so consequently is its odour Other influences are heat, pH and stability. The biggest and most powerful molecule is Exaltolide which was discovered as the key aroma in musk (from the Chinese musk deer). Researchers' at Firminich won the Nobel Chemistry prize for elucidating its structure. The largest known ring structure. It has a very sweet aroma and is used in tiny amounts in blackberry flavours. It is mainly used in perfumes where its low vapor pressure and aroma strength (very low aroma threshold) make it very long lasting on the skin.
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