Satisfying Afterglow

Until recently, I knew nothing about the terms ‘umami’ and ‘mouth feel’. Now that I do, I have a new culinary term to add: afterglow.

A decade ago, few home cooks I knew had ever heard of umami. The best I can explain is that everyone knew about sweet, sour, and bitter flavors. Umami is one of those flavors that go beyond, giving a satisfying treat to the taste buds. The difference between good and really, really good.

Mouth feel has more to do with moisture, texture and tenderness. Think of a properly done steak. If you are eating Bar b Que ribs the ‘tug’ of the meat off the bones comes into play. You want it to not fall off when it is picked up but when it is bitten into.

Now for that satisfying afterglow. What is it? For me it is the feeling that all else has been included. The taste, texture and mouth feel. Usually, it has to do with the use of aromatics, such as lemon zest, garlic, onions and capsaicin, (spicy peppers of some sort).

Usually cayenne. Red pepper flakes have several kinds of dried flakes and seeds. Most of the peppers need to be used very sparingly as they all have different Scoville Units. Scoville units are measures of heat. For example, Bell peppers have very little if any. Jalapeno, 2,500 as compared to Serrano at 20,000.

The afterglow I am talking about is a satisfying flavor and warmth at the back of the mouth. Not a burn.

Everyone has different ideas of spiciness. As for me, I like just enough to wake up the recipe and enjoy the flavors of the dish. Too much heat can sometimes mask the flavor of what you are eating and make it unpleasant.

So experiment! There are lots of different kinds of peppers out there and tons of information on their heat index. Find the right level of heat to give you that afterglow!