cocktails book:the campari “martini” :: salt

I got into the idea of ​​using salt in cocktails in search of delicious Kirk cocktail recipe books, who appeared in rogue cocktails ( rip) cocktails book. The theoretical basis for the application of salt in this cocktail was the idea of ​​" seasoning " the essence of Canary artichoke , which was used as the basic spirit .

By the words of Kirk cocktails book, cocktail taste like " peeled artichoke hearts with Belgian endives characterized and sprinkled with Malden salt of the sea."

cocktails book, and more particularly , the application of salt, stayed with me for a while cocktail recipe book. I made my own riff on the idea , the old and die happy , blah blah blah cocktail recipes book, who played in the Italian heritage in the menu of the counting chamber (just substitute a 1/2 oz Laboring 10 years 1/2 ounces of whiskey mixed Riotousness 100 ) cocktails book, but was never quite satisfied with my understanding of salt , and its effect on the palate. As anyone who has tasted under - seasoned food can attest , salt worked , just do not understand how cocktails book.

They say that fortune favors the bold cocktail recipe books, or at least those foolish enough to try to read Here This " cuisine molecular gastronomy or chemistry without formal education ( that would be me) cocktails book.

Fortunately, buried in the questions addressed to the dense prose, such as how gelatin milk without destabilize (use as much as possible the polysaccharides cocktail recipe book, it ) was a chapter entitled " How the taste of salt cocktails book."

Among other effects, we found that salt "increases the ionic strength aqueous solutions cocktails book, making it easier for deodorant molecules which are separated from the diet cocktail recipes book. This is why the soup without salt is tasteless and why add salt increases its odor, which is an important part of the flavor cocktail recipe book. " Did you understand ?" Sodium chloride is also a molecule that stimulates papillary taste receptors cocktails book. " What also ? Superb !But really salt " enhance the flavor of a dish? "

Fortunately for Here (and us) cocktails book, Gary Béchamel and his colleagues at the Menlo Chemical Senses Institute of Philadelphia were working.The team psychophysiology Menlo Institute wanted to know if the taste of salt is filtered selectively weakening unpleasant flavors while improving nice ...... Aqueous solutions containing over one or more of three substances : urea (bitter ) , sucrose (table sugar ), and sodium acetate cocktails book.

There were reasons for choosing these three sucrose added to the bitterness softens ions urea, sodium acetate and sodium contribute without imparting a salty taste ......

As expected, the sodium acetate reduced the bitterness of urea. What gastronomic empiricism did not predict  cocktail recipe book, however, that the salt was hidden much more effective than the bitterness of sugar. Mixtures of sugar , salt and urea were found to be less bitter and more sweet than mixtures of urea without salt and sugar cocktails book.

In addition cocktails book, high concentrations of sugar cocktail recipes book, sweet character was increased by the addition of sodium acetate , probably because the salt to compensate the weakening of the sweetness intensity of bitterness caused by urea. Consistent with this hypothesis , addition of sodium acetate to the sugar itself cocktail recipe book, in the absence of urea, the intensity of the sweet taste not increased cocktails book.