A flavor wheel should be a comprehensive visual aid of descriptive terms associated with the flavors of a specific food or drink. The Olykraut flavor wheel is a visual display which lays out the flavors tasted, by a variety of palates, in the “Original” (green cabbage, sea salt, Jacobsen Sea Salt) and “Eastern European” (cabbage, onion, apple, carrot, caraway seeds, grapefruit juice, sea salt, Jacobsen Sea Salt) recipes.
All of Olykrauts recipes are essentially rooted in the “Original” recipe and expanded through the addition of ingredients. The hope is that the sauerkraut flavor wheel can assist in describing what one tastes, and build a vocabulary around sauerkraut flavor.
At the flavor wheel's center are three major tastes observed in the Original and Eastern European Olykraut: sour, salty and sweet. Expanding outward, the descriptive terms become more specific. The terms used are based off of associated flavors rather than the ingredients in the sauerkraut. During fermentation volatile compounds from the vegetables and spices make the flavor profile immensely more complex. There are countless volatile compounds and probably even more distinguishable flavors than this flavor wheel covers.
This sauerkraut flavor wheel can accompany the existing flavor and aroma wheels for many other fermented foods so prized today – coffee, chocolate, beer, cheese, wine etc. Pin pointing flavor will, hopefully, create a deeper involvement and knowledge of sauerkraut. The health benefits of sauerkraut have sparked an interest in this living food, and the flavor wheel is a tool for future dialogue and connections among fermentos.
Caspersen, Beth Ann. "A Well-Rounded Palate." Equalexchange.coop. N.p., n.d. Web.
