Crossing foodways and creating your taste and flavor profiles

I was born and raised in Japan to a Korean family, moved to the U.S. three decades ago, and have been married to a German for more than two decades, living in Chicago. I have been exposed to many different types of cuisines. Food in Japan is far more diverse than many realize and the city I live in boasts 77 ethnic neighborhoods. So, I realized that often think of my dishes in terms of flavor profiles, rather than its ethnic origins.

Looking at ingredients, determining what tastes & flavors would work best is an inspiring process – savory, sweet, or in-between? How spicy? Would I keep it simple and let the ingredients shine? How complex do I want?

If you mix and match different kinds of flavor creators, combinations can be endless. My favorite staples include:

dried Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, cumin, turmeric, oregano, sesame seeds, basil, soy sauce, sake, miso, , kimchi, ginger, and loads of garlic, and many more.

• Seasonings & herbs – red pepper flake, black pepper, paprika, cumin, turmeric, oregano, Herbs de Provence, basil
• Condiments and other enhancers – soy sauce, sake, miso, gochujang
• Fermented/cultured – yogurt, kimchi, miso, Parmesan cheese, feta cheese
• “Plants” – ginger, garlic, green onion, sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
• Acids – lemon (and its zests), balsamic vinegar
• Dried fungus – porcini mushroom (its dusts at the bottom of a container can add a great depth to a tomato sauce or a barbecue sauce), dried shiitake mushroom
• Brown sugar, maple syrup, raw honey

A good way to create a flavor profile of your next dish might be to start with one or two that you think will enhance your hero ingredient, say miso and yuzu for Daikon, and start layering others a few at a time, say soy sauce, sake, red pepper flakes, gochujang, and a bit of sugar, and marinate in your mind on how they may come together. There will be some great successes and epic failures, but what you got to lose? Just one mediocre (or horrible) dish and a good lesson!