The Roots of Flavor: Plant vs Animal

Quote du Jour
   I add a lot of citrus to my food and I think that flavors it. And, to me, that's
   what makes it healthier, lower in fat, lower in calories. It add lots of flavor. 
   Spices, of course. But citrus is definitely kind of my go-to season and 
   really to really make those flavors, make that food come alive. 
                                               ~ Cat Cora, Celebrity Chef and former Iron Chef
Lacking flavor? On the contrary...
The fresh flavors of plant-based cooking lead me to a question I would never have thought to ask: What ingredients are providing all the flavor? Meat? Dairy? Fats/oils? Plants?

Plant vs Animal
Flavor Contributors
In the process of changing our diet, taking a fresh look at ingredients to understand what they provide to a recipe and learning new cooking techniques to develop flavor, my palate has changed. There are flavor differences. Here’s what I’ve discovered:

Herbs, spices, seasonally fresh produce...

Even the smoking process of curing meat is a plant-based flavor technique
To smoke meat, you burn wood! Used in the curing process of bacon, hot dogs and other meats, people associate smokey flavor with meat. Liquid Smoke, produced from smoke passed through water, provides a flavor associated with meat. 

Except for salt, a mineral,

I conclude, flavor comes from plants. The roots of flavor are plant-based! Flavor grows! Test for yourself over several meals, and see if you come to the same conclusion.

*Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, March & April 2013, page 30, “fat has a dulling effect on taste.”

Whee! Plants win!