Cooking is a delicious sensory experience and there are 5 Aromatics that - besides having health enhancing powers - will make all your senses happy and any dish delicious!
What are Aromatics?
Aromatics in cooking, in the general terms, refers to an ingredient (or a combination of ingredients) that is used to enhance flavors and the aromas of a dish. Those ingredients could be plant based, animal based, oil, vinegar and liquors. I refer to plant based Aromatics, which are vegetables, herbs and spices which I used in different combinations depending on the flavor profile I want to create or the type of cuisine I am cooking.
5- Aromatics that I Love!
You might be surprised with how many powerful health benefits these 5 ingredients have. Using them daily in your cooking, will make a difference in the way your dishes taste and in your health. And they are...... 1) Garlic 2) Onion 3) Cumin 4) Coriander / Cilantro 5) Ginger.
My intention here is not to list every health benefit of each of these miraculous ingredients, because they are MANY and backed by science!
I invite you to make your own research. Just the ginger alone, reduce inflammation, aid in digestion, relief pain, cold, flu and nausea; and I don't want to start talking about the other four, because it will take me 5 pages, only garlic is so potent that not even vampires will get closed to you! LOL :)
These AMAZING ingredients are offer to us by Mother Nature, use them daily, use them often and if possible in every meal.
Aromatics are usually vegetables, herbs & spices that are used in cooking to impart aromas and flavors to the dishes. Each cuisine has their own combination of aromatics, for example, the most common in Latin cuisine are garlic, onions, cumin and cilantro.
Get inspired in your Kitchen...
Once you start using Aromatics, you will start tasting the difference in your cooking. Every cuisine has their own combination of aromatics, in Asian cooking is the garlic, ginger, and scallion and in Italy (same as in Puerto Rico) it is called a "sofrito" which is a combination of tomatoes, garlic, onions and spices sauteed in oil at the beginning of cooking. And, "recaito" is a combination of garlic, onions, cilantro and peppers blended raw, that is added at the beginning of cooking (and sometimes I add it at the end of soups to take it to the next level!).
Get Inspired and make your own combinations, go wild, who knows, maybe you can even bottle and sell it!
Happy Cooking and Eating for Good Health!
