What are Marinades?

Marinades are food components used for enhancing flavors in grilled meat, fruits and vegetables, and seafood. A simple concoction of aromatics, acids and fats, marinades & sauces are popular around the world. For example, Indian tandoor, Texas barbecue, and Jamaican jerk are all marinades that make the basis of certain cuisines.

Components of marinades

Marinades are made up of three main components. These include aromatics, fats, and acids. With a combination of these three, it reveals a deep and distinct ethnic profile. 

1. Acids

Acids include different fruit juices, vinegar, and cultured milk products such as yogurt, etc. Also, some flavored kinds of vinegar, such as Italian balsamic, may be used sparingly. While it adds top notes of flavor, an apple cider vinegar will robustly add flavor to a pork roast marinade. Typically, rice vinegar is widely used in Asian countries for simple fish marinades, while wine vinegar and wine are more commonly used for European marinades. The souring agents of lemon and pomegranate, citrus juice, shine in Marinades in the Middle East. In Latin America, lime juice is the basis for seviche. Dairy-based marinades include spice mixtures and well-known yogurt, and buttermilk or cayenne for India’s tandoor. Much to your surprise, even Coca-Cola is a joint marinade base for various barbecue sauces. 

2. Fats

Fat in marinades seals in flavor as well as ensuring that the food remains moist during grilling. Monoglycerides and diglycerides oils and olive oil should be used since they penetrate faster and more profound. As for other recipes, the oils used provide a clue to the ethnic and regional profile. 

Olive oil is preferred in the western United States and the Mediterranean. Usually, heavy fruity olive oils are best. Flavored nut oils such as sesame oil or hazelnut provide a balance to the aromatics and acids.

Yogurt, which contains an acidic component, can also be used to provide fat. Also, it is undoubtedly one of the simplest marinades to create and use. Complex marinades will consider the right balance between fat, aromatic, and acid. Sesame oil, like balsamic vinegar, is used lightly. Heavy fruity olive oil will not balance light rice vinegar. Nor should the cook use intensely flavored oil such as sesame oil in large quantities.

3. Aromatics

Aromatics give a touch of distinct character, with hot, spicy, sweet, or our flavors. In the Asian teriyaki marinade, chopped ginger will be the dominating compound, along with lemongrass, soup & soyas. Chinese-influenced marinades use green onion, garlic, and ginger. In contrast, the French-style marinades are flavored with mirepoix, a mixture of finely minced carrots, onion, leeks, and celery, in red wine vinegar. Also, for your aroma, you may choose to use dried or fresh herbs such as the bay leaf, allspice, parsley, peppercorns, and oregano. Jumper berries are particularly used as ingredients for game marinades. Condiments with intense flavors such as Dijon mustard, Tabasco, Worcestershire, or fish sauce add intense flavor to the marinade. Lastly, chilies form the base of many Latin marinades, including the smoky ancho adobo chile and ground chili powder. 

Conclusion

Marinades may be liquid as in the classic red wine, rosemary-garlic, and olive oil marinade. Or they may be thick and vicious as in cumin yogurt. As long as you keep in three components of the marinade, any marinade is possible. Marinades can enhance the simplest ingredients, transforming them into a new dining experience.