Bottled Flavor

It’s interesting how becoming a foodie has made me a more educated restaurant patron and has given me a more discerning palate. My Sweet Lady Wife and I were having dinner a couple of nights ago with another couple at a local BBQ restaurant. Someone commented on the intense smokey flavor of all the meats and I replied that it probably came out of a bottle.

The rage these days seems to be flavors that go ‘POW’ in your mouth. One of my favorite chefs at Plate It Up’s cooking classes is Swiss and I have often remarked upon the more subtle flavors of European cooking.

Outside the restaurant, there was not a hint of BBQ smell anywhere. Think about it: If it was actual smoke causing that intense flavor, some of it would have to make its way outside through a chimney or exhaust vent. Yet there was nothing.

I have mixed emotions about using things like that. Smoke flavor enhancers have been on the supermarket shelves for years, yet I’ve never used them. On the other hand, at a certain level of abstraction, it’s no different than using Marsala sauce to enhance the meal’s favor I suppose.