The same food tastes different at different temperatures because the volatile aromatic compounds that carry most flavour perception change their rate of evaporation with temperature; taste receptor sensitivity varies with temperature; and texture changes with temperature, which affects how food releases its flavour compounds on the tongue.
**Volatility and temperature:** - Aromatic compounds responsible for flavour perception must reach the olfactory receptors in the nasal cavity via the retronasal pathway - Volatile compounds evaporate more rapidly at higher temperatures — hot food releases more aromatics per second - Cold food releases few aromatics but their character can be more specific: at low temperatures, only the most volatile compounds evaporate, so the aroma profile is different (not less — different) - Application: wines are served at specific temperatures to control which aromatic compounds are most volatile; serving red wine cold suppresses fruit esters; serving it too warm makes ethanol vapour dominant **Taste receptor sensitivity:** - Sweet perception is heightened at warm temperatures (35–45°C) - Sour and salty perception remain relatively constant across temperatures - Bitter perception is heightened at cold temperatures - Fat perception is reduced at cold temperatures - Application: a cold beverage tastes less sweet than the same beverage warm — which is why cold drinks are formulated with more sugar **Fat and temperature:** - Fat-based flavour carriers are most effective at body temperature (37°C) when the fat melts - Cold butter on toast doesn't release its lactic flavour compounds as effectively as room-temperature butter - This is the principle behind serving cheese at room temperature **The correct temperature for service:** - Soups and broths: 70–75°C in the bowl at the moment of consumption (not in the kitchen) - Red wine: 16–18°C - White wine: 8–12°C - Chocolate: 34–36°C (just melting at mouth temperature) - Cheese: 18–22°C (fat has mobilised; aromatics are released)
Modernist Cuisine Vol. 1