Warped Taste or ...

[Hoosier]

Question for the more experienced or master cooks here.

I have been experimenting with a Caramel Apple mix that I am having trouble getting the 2 balanced. Not a huge deal as that is all part of the process.

Last night, just before I went to bed, I dripped my Caramel Apple experiment-2 on my atty that had been going before with my Good 'n Plenty mix. Exp-2 is closer to what I wanted, but the apple flavor was too muted. Suddenly, this dripping had both a bold apple and caramel with an anise finish.

Does it seem reasonable that a drop of anise with the mix could act like a salt to make the flavors "pop", or is my nose way off?

I have used vanilla before to get more "bright" out of flavors, but it does not help with this mix.

Ideas? Crazy?

 

[Nikhil]

There are a lot of variables here. It could be the atomizer, it could be that your taste buds were clearer at that time than when you were sampling before, and it could be that the flavor sitting a while helped it homogenize.

That aside, when you normally think of a Caramel Apple you're really getting a ton of flavors, sweet sour fat cooked raw, each of which have many flavorings that make up what you taste. A lot of flavors don't have a roundness or depth of flavor that anise has. This means that while the Caramel and Apple are providing top note flavors, the anise might be providing a base note flavor. Taste buds are complex and vary so it's definitely possible the anise helps round out the flavor. It also depends on what you like about the Caramel Apple when you bite into it. Perhaps you like the sharpness of the apple and the burnt sugar flavor in the caramel, and both could be enhanced by the anise. It could also be providing a contrasting flavor which is a theme in the traditional Caramel Apple.

Short version - if it works for you, go for it. Would like to know how further tests turn out.

Disclaimer: I'm not really a chef.