5 Effortless Ways To Maximize Flavor In The Kitchen

Adding some flavors in cooking is essentially all about using them the right way, in ways that bring out the quality of fresh ingredients. From fresh herbs to your spice rack, there are a handful of ways to get creative and enhance the natural taste of your dishes.

To help you out, here are a handful of ways to get you started in the kitchen:

Cook With Your Nose And Tastebuds

Begin with aromatic ingredients such as: ginger, garlic, mint, and chiles in your healthy dishes. In addition, understand how these play into the flavor profiles of your most loved ethnic cuisines so you can experiment or reinvent another dish with similar flavors.

Begin With Quality Ingredients

Fresh fruits and vegetables naturally give your dish a quality head beginning. Generally, produce from your local farmers’ market will not only be in season, but will most likely taste better.

For the best flavor, our Olive Oil experts suggest that you keep certain fruits out at room temperature, such as apples, pears, persimmons, peaches, nectarines and even tomatoes. Refrigerator temperatures will mute their sweet flavors. 

Stock Up The Kitchen

Next, organize your kitchen and keep that pantry stocked! If ingredients are at your fingertips, you are probably more likely to cook something healthy and tasty rather than go to a restaurant. For example, add high quality olive, nut, truffle and sesame oils to finish your dishes, just a little bit will provide a burst of flavor.

Just A Small Amount

Our Olive Oil experts recommend that you try using just a small pinch of a finishing salt to season after cooking rather than dousing with salt during cooking if you need to reduce sodium. The tiniest pinch of a flaky sea salt such as Maldon salt will add an intense salty pop, or try truffle salt for an umami flavor!

Maximize Flavor With Herbs And Spices 

A little bit of dried herbs and spices can also provide a pop of flavor. Did you know that herbs and spices are dense with potent antioxidants! Our Olive Oil experts suggest that you try using turmeric, cinnamon, oregano, cloves and ginger in your cooking.

Other incredible salt-less enhancers include: rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, chile and lemon juice. Dry rubs or marinades are also a great way to flavor meat prior to cooking. You can try and add a smoky flavor with smoked paprika, smoked finishing salt, smoked olive oil, or chipotle chile.