Understanding Flavor: What is it anyway?

Flavor-n 1. the quality of something that affects the sense of taste, 2. the blend of taste and smell sensations evoked by a substance in the mouth, 3. characteristic or predominant quality.

Source: Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary

Flavor is composed of five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Scientists continue to debate whether these categories of tastes cover all experiences. In fact, a growing body of data suggests that this may be an oversimplified model for a process so complex that we are only at the very beginning phases of understanding it.

Almond flavor and aroma

Describing the flavor of an almond is a bit like describing a chameleon; it changes entirely depending on how it is treated. At its core, the flavor is a delicate balance of fatty richness, floral sweetness, and woody bitterness. We have to look at the almond in its three most common states:

• Raw Almonds: “Green & Floral”: Raw almonds are surprisingly subtle and “clean” tasting. They have a distinct milky sweetness and a snap that releases a light, grassy aroma. You will often find a hint of apricot or cherry pit flavor. This is because almonds are stone fruits, closely related to peaches and cherries, and they share a chemical compound called benzaldehyde.

• Roasted Almond: “Savory & Toasted”: Heat wakes up Roasting deepens their oils into a warm, toasty perfume. Moderate heat encourages the Maillard reaction– a chemical process in cooking, occurring when amino acids and reducing sugars react under heat, typically above 280˚F or 140˚C, that creates complex, savory flavors, brown colors, and toasted aromas. These complex flavors pair especially well with chocolate, coffee, citrus, and stone fruits. The roasting process creates pyrazines—compounds that our brains often associate with savory umami flavors. The flavor becomes “brown”—think toasted bread, popcorn, and cocoa. The oils become more apparent, giving the flavor a buttery weight that lingers on the back of the tongue.

• Bitter Almond: “The Marzipan Note”: When people think of “almond flavored” (like an extract or Amaretto), they are usually describing the flavor of bitter almonds. Intense, medicinal, and highly aromatic, it tastes like concentrated marzipan or cherry. In regular almonds, this flavor is very faint. To get that iconic “almond” flavor in baking, we usually have to add almond extract to bridge the gap between the nut’s natural mildness and our expectations. Bitter almonds are a variety typically grown in Europe. The bitterness comes from relatively higher levels of an organic compound called amygdalin that breaks down into benzaldehyde and cyanide when you chew the almonds. California almonds are 100% sweet varieties and have far lower levels of amygdalin.