Flavor Creation is..Science..Art..Mans attempt at duplicating nature...

     It is a Science in the sense that man is able to isolate, identify, and synthesize the various chemicals found in nature that make up the foods we eat.

     It is an Art in the sense that man expands upon what is found in nature to create more stable foods, better tasting foods, convenience foods, microwaveable foods, ethnic foods, fantasy foods, etc.

     A flavor creator is a person who works for many years evaluating the multitude of chemicals, both natural and synthetic, essential oils, fruit concentrates, and plant extracts that make up the palette of ingredients available to the flavor chemists, more commonly called a flavorist.

     Each flavorist will develop a technique unique to each individual. He will have favorite ingredients he works with which will stamp his personality on his finished work. Flavors are a blend of many ingredients combined in such a way as to create specific flavor nuances. If one is working on a grilled hamburger flavor, the flavorist must know what combination of ingredients make up the grill part of the flavor, and what ingredients will give the meaty hamburger character. The ingredients are then blended, tasted and re-blended until the effect the flavorist is looking for has been achieved. The flavored product is then evaluated and the flavorist will be made aware of the findings...the flavor is okay as is, it is terrible, or is good but needs a slight adjustment in making it more grill-like or more meaty in character.

     The flavorist will modify the flavor according to the customer’s desire, and the process is repeated until the customer is satisfied. What the customer likes is not always what the flavorist likes!

     The flavorist works closely with research chemists who, with the use of the most modern analytical technologies, determine which chemicals found in nature are really of value in the flavor creation process. Many chemicals found in nature are prone to rapid spoilage through oxidation, smell or taste bad, are poisonous, and are allergenic.

     The trained flavorist knows which natural chemicals to delete, and how to replace them with similar chemicals that are proven to be safe and stable

     A background in the sciences, as well as some culinary experience, all help in the flavorist’s work. A person who has a food imagination and an artistic background is the ideal candidate to become a flavorist. Through training, which could take up to fifteen years, they are able to take the good from nature and blend with man made ingredients in order to develop modern tasting foods.

Eugene S. Buday,
Founder & President