The Science of Spice

99

MAHLEB

Mb

Flavour Group | SWEET WARMING PHENOLS | Mahleb

RELEASE THE FLAVOUR

Of mahleb’s flavour compounds, only

dioxolane and some bitter phenols are

soluble in water to any great extent.

Cooking in a water-based liquid will

therefore result in a “green” and bitter

taste and should be avoided.

BLENDING SCIENCE

A lactone called coumarin produces mahleb’s creamy taste, like sweet clover

and apricot. Almond notes come from methoxyethyl cinnamate, and the spice

also contains woody, peppery azulene and balsamic, fruity pentanol, as well as

green-apple-like dioxolane. Bitterness in the fresh spice comes from phenols.

FOOD PARTNERS

Stone fruit Use ground mahleb to

thicken a sweet cherry sauce, add it to a

plum crumble topping, or sprinkle it over

roasted apricots or peaches.

Meat Add to a Turkish dry spice rub

for roast duck legs, pork, or lamb.

Baking Include mahleb with other

warm spices in festive bakes, or add it to

the sweet dough for an apricot tart.

Ice cream Sprinkle into cherry ice

cream and top with candied pistachios.

Tonka beans Partner with vanilla-

like tonka beans, which are similarly high

in coumarin, in sweet recipes.

combine with other

warming spices:

cinnamon and

cassia contribute

sweet, spicy, woody

qualities

galangal contains

a similar cinnamate

compound and hints of

cherry, adding a

penetrating pungency

ginger adds

hotness and sweet,

citrusy notes

pair with sweet

spices or those with

creamy nuances:

clove contributes

sweet, astringent,

camphorous notes

nutmeg adds

warm spiciness

liquorice brings

sweetness and

eucalyptus-like notes,

and sometimes

contains coumarin-like

substances

vanilla lends rich,

mellow creaminess

complement the

sweet woodiness

of mahleb:

sesame brings

harmonizing nutty and

bready flavours; pale,

unroasted seeds also

have a creamy taste

cacao adds bitter

chocolate notes,

pairing well with the

sweet coumarin

pair with spices

that either contain

pentanol or enhance

its flavour:

poppy seeds

contain pentanol

and add earthiness

lemon myrtle has

distinctive green

odours from the fruity

tasting heptanone,

and adds a powerful

lemon-lime flavour

METHOXYETHYL

CINNAMATE

warming | balsamic |

fruity

COUMARIN

sweet | floral |

grassy

AZULENE

woody | peppery |

herbal

PENTANOL

balsamic | fruity |

floral

Kitchen

creativity

Mahleb is luxuriously sweet and fruity, with an almond aroma and a woody

cherry taste; whole kernels also release a bitterness when chewed. Mainly

known as a baking spice, it can add fruit-and-nut notes to savoury dishes.

Add to fats before

mixing into a recipe

to allow sweet and

woody flavours to

come to the fore.

Application of heat

will decrease the

bitter flavours and

allow hints of cherry

fruitiness to emerge.

Grind kernels to

release short-lived

oils. Leave for a

few minutes before

use to let bitter

phenols evaporate.

098-099_Mahleb.indd 99 04/06/2018 15:47