5 Most Common Flavor Enhancers and What They Do

Flavors can transform ordinary foods into something extraordinary. At Bell Chem, our wide range of flavor enhancers can elevate any dish to gourmet status. We’ve put together a list of our top five most popular flavor enhancers to help ensure your meals leave every customer smiling.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)  

Discovered over 100 years ago by chemist Kikunae Ikeda, Monosodium Glutamate originated from his identification of a "savory" flavor in kelp, which he attributed to L-glutamate. When combined with sodium, it formed what the Japanese call *umai*, or “delicious,” which we now know as *umami*—the fifth basic taste our tongues can detect. Today, MSG is made from simple starches rather than kelp. When added to foods, MSG enhances flavor while allowing consumers to use less salt, leading to a reduction in sodium intake by up to threefold. How can you resist a flavor literally known as “delicious”?

Honey  

Honey offers a wealth of flavors—quite literally. As bees collect nectar from various flowers, the resulting honey takes on the unique flavor profile of that nectar. Similar to fine wine, discerning gourmets can detect subtle nuances in each variety of honey. Sweeter than table sugar, honey can often be used at a 2:1 ratio, meaning 1 cup of honey can replace 2 cups of sugar in recipes. Despite using less, honey not only imparts its own distinct flavor but also enhances the flavors of other ingredients. Additionally, honey can extend shelf life and stabilize liquids, such as salad dressings, due to its natural viscosity.

Citric Acid  

Citric acid offers a tart, refreshing, and acidic flavor, often simply recognized as "citrus." Originally sourced from lemon peels, citric acid not only imparts its own flavor but also enhances the existing flavors in foods and beverages. It is frequently used by chefs and manufacturers in beverages to balance out sweeter ingredients, adding complexity to the final taste.

Corn Syrup  

Unlike high fructose corn syrup, regular corn syrup is not as sweet as table sugar, as its fructose levels have not been mechanically increased. It is commonly used as a liquid sweetener in candies, jams, and cakes. Composed purely of glucose, corn syrup lacks other saccharides. It plays a crucial role in providing texture and a complex mouthfeel to products such as marshmallows, pecan pie, and peanut brittle, making these treats what they are.

Salt (Sodium Chloride)  

Salt is one of the basic tastes our tongues detect, with sodium chloride stimulating taste buds more effectively than other salts like potassium chloride. Our bodies are naturally attuned to salt, and in small amounts, it enhances other flavors, such as sweetness, by suppressing bitterness. This is why a pinch of salt is often included in cookie or cake recipes. More robust flavors like umami, however, require higher amounts of salt to adjust their taste profiles, which is why savory foods tend to contain more salt than sweet ones. Salt not only balances but also intensifies the flavors of foods and beverages.