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Foods to Stimulate Taste Buds

Sep 2, 2011 | By Fred Decker
Foods to Stimulate Taste Buds
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If you've ever bitten into a pickle, you already know how strong flavors can stimulate your taste buds and set your mouth watering. That's the idea behind appetizers, hors d'oeuvres and the various other small, tasty morsels offered up before meals. The foods vary widely, but they're alike in their bold, appetizing flavors.

Tempting Tastes

The principle of using small amounts of tasty foods to stimulate the appetite is an old one. The cookbook of Apicius, written during the great days of imperial Rome, shows a firm grasp of the concept. The goal is to create foods with bold, clean flavors that will please your palate; these foods tell your body to gear up its digestive processes. They are usually small, designed to take a fine edge from your hunger so you can better enjoy your meal. The flavors are usually tart and savory, often employing pickles, condiments, fresh herbs and cheeses.

Canapes and Hors d'Oeuvres

The smallest and most sophisticated of these foods are canapes and hors d'oeuvres, one-bite finger foods. They reached their peak in the 18th century, when renowned chefs such as Antonin Careme created elaborate banquets for statesmen and royalty. Canapes typically consist of a small quantity of a flavorful ingredient, such as caviar or pate, served on a base of bread or toast; they are attractively garnished. A typical plate might include caviar on tiny pancakes, thinly sliced smoked salmon on rye bread or wild mushrooms in a puff pastry shell.

Pickled and Fermented Foods

Pickled and fermented items account for a whole class of appetite-stimulating foods. Pickled foods have a distinct tang, either from long fermentation that produces acids, or by shorter immersion in acidic brine. Capers are the pickled flower buds of a Mediterranean shrub, widely used as a garnish or ingredient. There are many varieties of cucumber pickles, but anything from mushrooms to cauliflower to squid to quail's eggs can be successfully pickled or marinated. Cheese, olives and dried sausages such as Spanish chorizo or Genoa salami also fit this category.

Appetizers as the Meal

There are times when it's pleasant to spend several leisurely hours over food with friends and family, rather than sitting down to a conventional meal. This approach can be found all over Europe, from the meze of Greece to Swedish smorgasbrod, and from Spanish tapas to Russian zakuski. Variety is the key to a successful table of small dishes, so be sure to mix fresh and pickled vegetables. Combine fresh and dried fruits. Include lots of condiments and pickles. Serve several different kinds of bread.

References

Article reviewed by Robin Raven Last updated on: Sep 2, 2011

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