4 mistakes that always make your food taste bad
How to cook food without mistakes (illustrative photo: Freepik)
Cooking is an everyday process during which mistakes can happen, easily ruining the taste of a dish. However, these errors are also easy to avoid, ensuring that the food remains delicious and, most importantly, safe.
Excessive use of spices and seasonings
An incorrect combination of spices is one of the most common mistakes that can cause food to lose its flavor. Additionally, sometimes adding spices at the end of cooking doesn’t allow the full aroma of the herbs to develop.
Many people also tend to overuse seasonings, resulting in dishes that are too salty or overly spicy. It's important to remember that spices should be added gradually, giving each one time to blend with the other ingredients.
It’s better to add a minimum of spices at the beginning of cooking, especially if you’re using dried herbs. This way, they can release their aromas and enhance the dish without overpowering the main ingredients' flavors.
Not following the cooking technique
Incorrect cooking techniques, as well as undercooking or overcooking, are another key mistake. If meat, fish, or even vegetables are undercooked, they may still taste good, but they can be hazardous to health.
On the other hand, overcooked or burnt food can become unpleasant, and lose its texture, and even its nutritional value. For example, overcooked rice or mushy noodles turn into an unappetizing porridge.
Therefore, always follow the recommended cooking times and temperatures. Additionally, to check the doneness of meat, you can use a special thermometer.
Ignoring the temperature of ingredients
Not all ingredients should be added to the pot or pan at the same temperature. For example, cold ingredients, especially meat, lower the cooking temperature, which can result in uneven cooking.
It’s better to take ingredients out a little while before cooking to allow them to warm up to nearly room temperature. Creams for sauces can be warmed separately; otherwise, a sudden temperature change can cause the liquid to curdle.
Improper storage of food
Proper storage of ingredients is crucial for the final taste of a dish. Products that are kept too long in the fridge or in unsuitable conditions can lose their flavor.
For example, vegetables that have begun to wilt will no longer provide the desired aroma during cooking. Additionally, products that are starting to spoil can lead to food poisoning.
To prepare a tasty dish, always store ingredients in the appropriate conditions. Vegetables, meat, and fish require different storage conditions, so be sure to choose the right place for each type of product.
The following sources were used in the preparation of this article: Serious Eats, Food Network, The Kitchn.
