Much have been published on the history, nature and processing of herbs, species and other aromatic plant materials used as food flavorings but one subject which has received little attention is that their sensory characteristics.
What do they actually smell and taste like? What quantitative and qualitative contribution can one expect them to give to the total flavor complex of any product which they are used? How can one describe the observable differences in aroma and flavor? The absence of any really informative articles covering this important aspect of flavoring is not surprising when one realizes how extremely difficult it is to achieve meaningful descriptions or well known but purely sensory effects (for example flavor of banana).
Certain descriptive terms have become well established by use and understood by the majority of these like to be called upon to evaluate aromatic materials, generally, however, the mere reading of a descriptive profile gives little idea of the effect obtained. It is fair to say that no color-of flavor can yet be describe verbally in any language in such a way that the uninitiated layman immediately recognize and visualize the material and be able to identify it when presented with a sample.
Even the individual words used do not necessarily convey the correct impression. For instance, one may have a reasonably clear understanding of the word “aromatic” as something which has both a hedonic and nonhedonic connotations; i.e., it is both pleasing and sweet. In the other hand, the term “green’” which are also very frequently used in describing aromas and flavors, is far less precise, ranging from the effect one associates with freshly cut grass to that of damp leaves or even of freshly cut garden herbs; all of which are quite different.
This problem is accentuated when one has to translate terms into other languages. Frequently, a single world replacement is not understood may, in fact, give totally wrong impression. In most cases one has to carry out an evaluation at first hand in order to appreciate fully the differences in aromatic character or create a picture of the total profile.
Aromatic profile
