On Food and Cooking

endowment of the enzyme lipoxygenase,
which breaks unsaturated fatty acids into
small, odorous molecules. The main
components of beaniness are grassy hexanal
and hexanol and mushroomy octenol.
Lipoxygenase gets its chance to act when the
bean cells are damaged and there’s enough
moisture and oxygen available: for example,
when fresh beans are bruised, or dried
damaged beans are soaked or brought slowly
to a boil. The strong beaniness of soybean
products is generally accepted in Asia but
objected to in the West, where food scientists
have developed techniques to minimize it (see
box, p. 494). The aroma of cooked beans also
has a distinct sweet note, which comes from
lactones, furans, and maltol.
Some beans may be warehoused for years
before they find their way to supermarkets or
into prepared foods. Prolonged storage causes
legumes to lose some typical flavor notes and
accumulate stale ones.