Grilled food often develops crisp, charred surfaces with a distinctive seared, ashy flavor. This is the key characteristic that makes grilled products so desired by consumers. However, obtaining that note in prepared foods is a challenge.
“The flavor profile is more of a seared, charred protein note, compared to traditional smoke products, with an ashy, stuck-to-the-grate taste,” says Ron Foster, product and process development. “We manufacture a product to mimic the taste created by charring items on the grill. In this new ingredient, we have a pyramid of flavors. There is a refined flavor element with a light backyard charcoal note and an ashy, seared barbecue note. When the ashy flavor dominates the profile, a charred taste is created.”