zxcvbob wrote:
> jmcquown wrote:
>
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue 27 Sep 2005 09:03:28p, zxcvbob wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> The flavor found in canned chili and in canned "chili beans" eludes
>>>>> me.
>>>>>
>>>>> When I make my own chili recipe it's flavored with onion, garlic,
>>>>> chili powder, cumin, coriander, Mexican oregano and a bay leaf.
>>>>> It's a good basic chili and we like it.
>>>>>
>>>>> However, the canned products have a very different flavor and almost
>>>>> all brands taste quite similar. The list of ingredients on the
>>>>> cans, of course, just say "and spices".
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyone have an idea what makes up this flavor?
>>>>>
>>>>> TIA
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Pressure-can some beef stew meat. The long processing time gives it
>>>> a subtle fishy taste that is what you are looking for. Add a jar of
>>>> the canned meat to your chili, and thicken it with a little wheat
>>>> flour and cheap paprika. HTH :-)
>>>>
>>>> Best regards,
>>>> Bob
>>>>
>>>
>>> LOL! I know what you mean, Bob. Some canned products containing meat
>>> don't smell much different from dog or cat food.
>>>
>>> However, this "spice" flavor also dominates the canned "chili beans"
>>> like Bush's, and contain no meat or meat products.
>>
>>
>>
>> I know what you mean, Wayne, and I wish I knew what it was, too. I'm
>> starting to think it's like a reverse sort of (non-sexual) salt-peter...
>> something that makes us *want* to buy the chili or chili beans. I get
>> cravings for this stuff! I had to add "chili beans" to my sloppy joe
>> meat
>> (before I turned it into chili mac) last week. The pull was
>> irresistable.
>> And man did it taste good!
>>
>> Jill
>>
>>
>
>
> I was kind of serious, you just couldn't tell from my writing style. I
> think it's hydrolyzed protein. You can get the same effect by adding
> MSG or Thai fish sauce. Add just a little wheat or oat flour for
> thickening, and some California paprika.
>
> Bob


Earlier in this thread, nancy said

>>Heh, the first time I made the chicken tortilla soup and added the
>>cumin
>>I thought, OH that's the mexican food smell! I had never used it
>>before,
>>not even in chili. Great stuff.

When I first started using thai fish sauce and oyster sauce in preparing
my own sauces, I noticed that it gave the food a subtle "take-out"
aroma. I wish I knew more about food chemistry.


--

saerah

"It's not a gimmick, it's an incentive."- asterbark, afca

aware of the manifold possibilities of the future

"I think there's a clause in the Shaman's and Jujumen's Local #57 Union
contract that they have to have reciprocity for each other's shop rules."
-König Prüß