The Architecture of Spice: Building Flavor Through Global Pastes
While Western cuisine builds complexity through time and reduction, much of the world’s flavor architecture begins with pastes—concentrated flavor bombs created through pounding, grinding, and extracting essential oils from fresh and dried ingredients. These pastes aren’t just seasoning; they’re the structural foundation upon which entire cuisines are built. The Two Methods of Flavor Extraction Before diving into specific pastes, understand the two fundamental approaches to extracting flavor from spices and aromatics: ...