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A Cheat Sheet to Flavor Profiles

katflinn · November 6, 2020 · 20 Comments

What makes something taste Italian or Cajun or Moroccan? Whether crafting vinaigrette, seasoning chicken, or developing a soup, understanding the flavors of ingredients that help to define various cuisines can be deeply useful.

Every cuisine has its regional variations; Basque cuisine is vastly different from the classic dishes from Provence, but they’re both French. So consider this a shorthand reference to a few culinary stereotypes. Don’t overdo it. Try incorporating two to four ingredients from a cuisine group to tilt a flavor profile in that general direction.

Cajun/Creole

dark roux, onions, celery, green pepper, tomatoes, parsley, cayenne, Cajun spice blends, blackening seasonings, lemon, scallions, andouille sausage, crab, shrimp

French

butter, shallots, onions, celery, carrots, thyme, tarragon, herbs de Provence, bay leaves, chives, chervil, capers, red and white wine, truffle, soft cheeses, Dijon mustard, mushrooms, cream

Indian

tandoori spices, garam masala, curry, yogurt, coconut milk, basmati rice, tamarind, cardamom, cumin, coriander, cilantro, fennel, garlic, saffron, fenugreek, dried chilies

Italian

garlic, onions, celery, basil, pesto, prosciutto, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, mozzarella cheese, pine nuts, tomatoes, artichokes, olives, olive oil, oregano, lemon, fennel, flat-leaf parsley, red pepper flakes, rosemary, white beans, balsamic vinegar

Japanese

miso, sesame seed oil, sesame seeds, rice vinegar, sake, soy sauce, wasabi, ginger

Greek

oregano, lemon, olives, tuna, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, olive oil, lamb, garlic, feta cheese, tomatoes, red onions, fish, shellfish

Mexican/Tex-Mex

cumin, chili powder, hot sauce, green peppers, oregano, lime, garlic, onions, celery, cilantro, tomatoes, scallions, black beans, Cheddar cheese, avocado

North African/Moroccan

mint, lemon, harissa, saffron, turmeric, parsley, cilantro, honey, olives, almonds, dates, raisins, chickpeas, eggplant, green bell peppers, carrots, lentils, onion, ground ginger, paprika, cumin, cayenne, figs

Central/South Asian

ginger, garlic, scallions, shallots, lemongrass, Thai basil, cilantro, fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, coconut milk, sesame seeds, sesame oil, rice or sweet wine vinegar, cilantro, lime, oyster sauce, galangal, hot chili peppers

Where this information came from
This is excerpted from The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn with permission from Viking/Penguin.

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Filed Under: Basics, Featured Recipes Tagged With: Cooking Basics, Tasting

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Comments

  1. Lena Nozizwe says

    September 16, 2013 at 7:30 pm

    What about the rest of Africa, please. Good food comes from there too.

    Reply
    • katflinn says

      October 15, 2013 at 7:08 pm

      Yes, a great point! I am a huge fan of Ethiopian food after visiting there years ago. I will add some spices from West Africa. If you’ve got any suggestions, let me know!

      Reply
      • Lena Nozizwe says

        December 5, 2016 at 12:08 pm

        Sounds good!

        Reply
  2. Chester says

    April 23, 2014 at 5:00 pm

    Hey there! This post was great. Reading through
    this post reminds me of my previous room mate who went to culinary school. He always
    kept talking about this. I will forward this post to him.
    Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  3. WorldsoldestFreshman says

    April 14, 2015 at 4:14 pm

    Just a slight suggestion: the Mexican flavor profile is based on the white cheeses like Monterrey Jack and queso fresco which tend to taste a little less acidic than cheddar and can be somewhat saltier. It also has less of the “cheddar” flavor which can be jarring in the context of Mexican foods.

    Reply
    • katflinn says

      April 14, 2015 at 5:29 pm

      Thanks for the suggestion, I will make a note of that.

      Reply
    • temple says

      November 20, 2015 at 1:10 am

      Cheddar is Tex-Mex, not Mexican.

      Reply
      • katflinn says

        November 30, 2015 at 4:08 am

        Great point!

        Reply
  4. Mario M says

    April 29, 2015 at 4:05 pm

    Great posts. Loved it.

    Reply
    • katflinn says

      April 29, 2015 at 10:27 pm

      Thanks! This is the most popular page on the site at the moment!

      Reply
  5. McKenzie Warren says

    April 1, 2016 at 5:16 pm

    THAAANK YOOOOU.

    Reply
    • katflinn says

      May 8, 2016 at 12:32 am

      Sure!

      Reply
  6. Sherry Day says

    January 15, 2021 at 6:01 pm

    Would love to see some Cuban recipes, I miss their cuisine after moving from Florida.

    Reply
    • katflinn says

      January 18, 2021 at 5:22 am

      I love Cuban food. Will add!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Cook Fearless - Vinaigrette Basics [video lesson] says:
    January 7, 2013 at 1:39 pm

    […] But you want a fancy designer gourmet vinaigrette? Raspberry? Blueberry? Then add the berry to the bowl and whisk. Asian vinaigrette? Use some things from the Asian flavor profile: ginger, garlic, miso, sesame oil, peanut oil, soy sauce. An Italian Vinaigrette? Basil, garlic, tomato, white beans. Get some ideas from our “Cheat Sheet” to Profiles […]

    Reply
  2. Cook Fearless - Recipe: Rosemary-Thyme-Lemon Oil says:
    September 26, 2013 at 10:00 pm

    […] A “cheat sheet” to flavor profiles  […]

    Reply
  3. Learning to Cook | The End of theTunnel says:
    November 18, 2013 at 8:10 pm

    […] Edited to add: Turns out there are a few cheatsheets floating around on flavor profiles. Have a look. […]

    Reply
  4. 10 SURE-FIRE WAYS TO ENJOY YOUR COHEN JOURNEY | An Epicure on a Diet says:
    November 17, 2014 at 9:51 am

    […] For foodies like myself who love to try a myriad of global and regional cuisines, check out PlanToEat.com’s article on “Learning to Cook by Flavor Pofile, not Recipe.” The article gives an easy to understand guide on which ingredients typically define a type of cuisine. So if you want to eat something Mexican, this article will tell you which spices are typically used in Mexican cooking, or which ingredients are usually the base flavors in Thai cuisine. Another read should be Kathleen Flinn’s “A ‘Cheat Sheet’ to Flavor Profiles.” […]

    Reply
  5. Why bad food tastes good (Salt, Sugar & Fat) - Deepak Nair says:
    June 2, 2015 at 12:03 am

    […] + flavorings) How to make chicken breasts taste good – (salt brining = juicier, spice blend) A cheat sheet for flavor profiles – for different […]

    Reply
  6. Kathleen Flinn - Soup 101: How to Make Soup (video lesson) says:
    January 20, 2017 at 3:43 pm

    […] roasted peppers, mushrooms and cauliflower; this is hardly an exhaustive list. Take a look at my Cheat Sheet to Flavor Profiles for some […]

    Reply

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