Essay: The 5 flavors

One topic that seems to come up often in discussions about cooking is the notion that the holistic experience of flavor is comprised of five distinct elements. The theoretical origin of this concept is rooted in Chinese philosophy; however, modern physiology has confirmed what premodern Chinese cooks intuited, save for one discrepancy. Today, the traditional Chinese model remains prevalent in various cuisines throughout Asia. Additionally, many western chefs and sommeliers turn to the updated theory as a basis for dishes and pairings.

Throughout the Shang and Zhou dynasties (1600-256 BC), material philosophy based on 5 elements (not entirely dissimilar from those theorized by Aristotle) became increasingly prominent in China. The concept supplemented the older, bicategorical perspective of T’ai Chi. As far as cooking was concerned, this development resulted in movement away from the understanding of foods as balancing agents of Yin and Yang. Rather, many cooks sought to synthesize representative flavors in order to achieve elemental harmony.

The following chart shows the elements, their flavors, and examples of foods that correspond to them:

Earth	Sweet	Sweet potatoes
Fire	Bitter	Chard, collards
Water	Salty	Salt, Soy sauce
Wood	Sour	Lemon
Metal	Spicy; pungent	Garlic, chili

According to Chinese tradition, each element acts upon two others, either drawing it out or controlling it. For example, wood draws out fire and controls earth. Understanding this, a cook can create dishes that dramaticize the effects of a particular ingredient or suppress unwanted flavors. Alterantively, the five flavors can be balanced in order to excite the entire palate. A familiar example of this technique is five-spice powder, which often contains clove, fennel, star anise, peppercorns, and cinnamon.

Modern anatomical research has revealed that our tongues contain multiple varieties of taste receptors (contained within our taste buds), each of which are discreetly stimulated by different chemical compounds. These receptors correspond to flavors that vary only slightly from those charted above. Foods that are spicy are not categorically distinct, and a branch of foods dubbed "umami" (savory) are separately recognized. The unique character of umami was originally uncovered in 1908 at Tokyo Imperial University, where a researcher sought to demystify the particularly strong flavor of seaweed broth.

Flavors physiologically detectable by taste receptors and examples of what they respond to:

Salty	Salt (NaCl)
Sour	Acids (H+ ions in solution)
Bitter	Many compounds
Sweet	Glucose
Umami (Savory)	Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

Instinctively, the brain responds very postively to salty, sweet, and umami (a type of flavor strongly associated with meat) foods. Bitter, which is characteristic of many poisons, and sour, which corresponds to rotting fruit and meat, typically induce a negative reaction. As such, ingredients that are sour or bitter are best used more sparingly than those that are salty, sweet, or savory. The flavors are also contrastable in a manner that is roughly analogous to Chinese tradition; when one food or ingredient is especially sour, it will make sweets taste sweeter.

Both the Chinese concept of elemental cooking and our modern understanding of the gustatory system are helpful when we think about dishes with complex flavor. Additionally, keeping some of the general principles of these schools of thought in mind can help take improvised dishes from the fridge or the pantry to the next level.