Did you know? If your dishes seem bland in the mountains, it’s not a question of the recipe, but of the altitude. The taste really changes up there… and we’ll explain why.
It’s a very real phenomenon in the mountains: the higher you gain altitude, the less our palate perceives the flavors. As recalled @le.media.Food on Instagram, lower atmospheric pressure and dry air dry out the mucous membranes, which reduces aromas and sometimes makes the dishes less expressive. Even a carefully prepared and well-seasoned meal can seem lacking in depth, and you have to learn to adapt your taste to suit it. find all the wealth flavors at altitude.
The higher you go, the more you have to raise your dishes
At altitude, the flavors seem to be suffocated. The palate becomes less receptive, and even a dish we love can seem bland. To remedy this, you simply have to dare to season a little more than usual. In the mountains, an extra turn of the pepper mill, an extra pinch of salt or a slightly more present spice are often enough to awaken gluttony. This slight adjustment compensates for the loss of perception linked to dry air and lower pressure.
Mountain cooks have understood this well: they adapt their recipes without distorting its spirit. In a soup, for example, you can intensify the broth. In a gratin, on meat, you can add an herb or a touch of acidity to add depth. It’s not a question of quantity, but barely : find the balance of taste despite the mountains, so that each mouthful remains full of character.
The higher you go, the more you have to awaken the flavors
If you want to go furtherit is not enough to lightly spice up the dishes: you can also play with aromatic herbs, perfumed oils or spices. Bet on powerful ingredients such as garlic, lemon, thyme, sweet pepper or curry, which naturally awaken the palate without saturating it.
Cooking at altitude is almost a balancing game : adjust, taste, feel. Each dish becomes a true sensory experience, where you have to listen to the mountain, adapt your gestures and find the right note so that the flavors are fully expressed. An adventure that transforms every meal into a little gourmet challenge. And you, did you know that?
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Cook in my spare time and very curious about the flavors of the world. I love getting my hands dirty as much as sharing my culinary discoveries. Japanese sushi with couscous…
