Covering All Flavor Bases

Bases have become indispensable tools for foodservice cooks. For them, time is of the essence. In the past, gastronomic fundamentalists may have scoffed at the notion, but today's cooks depend whole-heartedly on bases and their kin, flavor concentrates, to provide homemade taste in less time.

Bases are great starting platforms to build recipes. They dissolve into flavorful savory broths; in finished dishes, they highlight flavor nuances or add bursts of ethnic spice. Talented and unskilled kitchen personnel alike proudly use these stock concentrates as they would any other convenience food, such as Worcestershire or tomato paste.

Early in the 20th century, soup starters or soup bases -- blends high in salt and accented with spices -- were popular in foodservice kitchens. Added to scratch-made stock, they reduced the time necessary to make tasty soups. In 1951, Lewis J. Minor realized that busy foodservice cooks needed more help than just decreasing soup production hours. He noticed that cooks spent most of their valuable time and money on making stocks, the building blocks on which great soups are based. At this time, too, bone prices were high and quantities scarce, making stock production cost prohibitive. As a solution, Minor created meat-first seasonings, to use instead of salt-first seasonings, to replace making stocks from scratch. From the door-to-door beginnings and with production help from his wife, Ruth E. Minor, and friend, Audrey Tubbs, Minor innovated a staple ingredient of the foodservice industry, recounts Michael Minor, the son of L.J. Minor and president of Culinary Services and Solutions Inc., Cleveland. Small amounts of these paste concentrates diluted in water resulted in great-tasting stocks in 15 minutes rather than the traditional 10 or more hours, and eliminated the costly, time-consuming business of bone roasting.

More than 50 years later, the category has grown to include familiar soup and stock starters as well as sauce starters and flavor concentrates. No matter how you name them, these timesaving devices are vital ingredients used in any busy kitchen. Though a true consensus among foodservice operators and manufacturers about the definition of bases is hard to reach, many agree that bases serve as the foundation for other food applications. Consistent in flavor, taste, and smell, and not overly salty, stock bases and flavor concentrates offer busy chefs places to start and directions to follow when developing new recipes.

Early bases were made by cooking cubed, fresh, unfrozen meat. The meat and juices from this process were then homogenized with salt and seasonings. Today, the manufacturing process is not significantly different. Companies may use a variety of proprietary methods to make their bases, but the result is always similar: a tasty concentrate for numerous applications.

Incorporating salt in these concentrates reduces water activity, providing a natural barrier to undesirable microbial growth. Most paste bases have a recommended refrigerated shelf life of up to 1 year. Technically, the product may be microbiologically sound, but flavor integrity can deteriorate if stored for too long.

Bases are also available as spray-dried powders. A thick liquid version of the base is atomized into a hot-air chamber. Controlled temperature and airflow conditions immediately evaporate moisture from the particles; they fall and are continuously collected from the drying chamber. These are sold to manufacturers as ingredients and used in creating other bases or finished foods that are ultimately sold to foodservice operators or distributors.

In addition to extending shelf life, salt enhances base flavors. Old style bouillon type bases typically have 70% to 80% salt. Modern paste bases have approximately 30% salt. These salt-driven bases are tricky to use, though. Each addition of paste adds a fair amount of salt, and chefs run the risk of over-salting the recipe while trying to add meat flavors. In this way, salt-first bases are limiting. Some cooks feel that these are best used for simple soup applications where only a few other ingredients will be added. They will only add lower-salt bases to appease health-conscious consumers who desire flavorful yet healthful products. For example, 8 oz. of chicken or beef broth made with reduced-sodium bases will have about 80% less sodium. Removing salt from all aspects of the recipe, then adding a reduced-sodium base, helps boost flavor without adding salt.

In small amounts, ingredients such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), autolyzed yeast extract (AYE) and monosodium glutamate (MSG) are added to bases to enhance the meatiness and the savory character of meat-base pastes. HVP is made from wheat gluten, corn gluten or defatted soy flour and contains component amino acids, including glutamate, salt and water. Pale HVP subtly enhances meaty notes like chicken; darker HVP is quite strong and in some cases has charred characteristics that add subtle roasted nuances. AYE consists of nucleic acids, peptides and other constituents and functions similarly to MSG, the sodium salt of glutamic acid. In some cases, to avoid having MSG on labels, producers will use a mixture of disodium 5'-inosinate and disodium guanylate, which also enhances savory flavor. All of these ingredients boost the overall umami and meaty notes, and when used properly, can liven an otherwise dull base product.  

Some people report reactions that include headache, irritability, or a feeling of pressure behind the eyes and forehead when they eat MSG. Though temporary, these effects are uncomfortable, and consumer concerns about MSG and other free glutamates encourage manufacturers to omit these enhancers from their formulations.

Before cooking shows and culinary classes educated the American palette, HVP, AYE and MSG savory flavor enhancers sufficed. But now, some professionals feel that they only taste partially like the proteins they enhance. Andrew Bosch, senior creative flavorist at Kraft Food Ingredients, Memphis, TN, explains that developers and consumers alike are demanding bases that taste closer to the real thing. Products made without added HVP, AYE and MSG are considered to have clean labels. To make up for the lost flavor magnification that these ingredients add, manufacturers may add flavor concentrates to base formulations to get desired flavor boost, continues Bosch. Perhaps the base is missing a cooked vegetable note; adding a small amount of roasted mirepoix flavor delivers the missing link. Adding a grill flavor at a threshold level subtly enhances roasted notes in a meat base, and the overall profile becomes a little fattier and smokier. The grill concentrate adds an extra flavor dimension that makes the end product taste more natural, Bosch concludes.

Some manufactures of finished foodservice products no longer use typical meat bases in their formulas at all. Instead, they use reaction flavor concentrates. "People are looking for a natural base alternative, and are using flavor technology to make stocks," explains Steve Zavagli, president of Wynn Starr Flavors, Allendale, NJ. These pastes have huge meat flavors in small concentrations and are sold mainly to food processors. Products like these may be the next wave of stock starters to be available to foodservice, but because of procurement policies, they have not hit foodservice distributors yet, he adds.

In the 1980s, many companies producing meat-first bases joined L.J. Minor in the marketplace. Experienced chefs in the industry are familiar with the chicken and beef bases popular at that time. They know how to build stocks and soups off of them, explains Bill Cawley, manager culinary and technical applications at Eatem Foods, Vineland, NJ. But the base family tree has branched out since then. Base design had to change to serve not only the demands of the consumer -- with a more sophisticated palate -- but also foodservice establishments that needed more functionality and convenience. Bases became more exotic with more upscale flavor nuances built in. Now, we see bases certified for the organic and kosher markets in addition to a full array of flavored products, like cheese concentrates, specialty vegetable bases and herb pastes. "Within those base categories, there are seasoned, roasted, toasted and slow-simmered caramelized varieties. Bases are not so straightforward anymore," Cawley continues. It might seem intimidating to have so many choices, but start simply and ask questions. Many manufacturers teach customers how to use their products. For instance, add just a dab of roasted-garlic base whisked into softened butter and voilà, rich roasted-garlic butter in seconds!

Ever popular, beef and chicken bases sell the most by volume and work in hundreds of applications. The simplest use is as stock concentrates: 1lb. of base diluted in water and simmered yields approximately 5 gal. of finished stock. The concentrates can be used at higher or lower levels depending on the recipe or application.

In Aramark executive dining rooms, cooks use bases to fortify stocks made in-house, explains Matthew Burton, senior concept development chef at Aramark, Philadelphia. Unexpected events may interfere with daily prep routines, or more simply, stockpots are often needed for other purposes. In these emergency situations, augmenting with a touch of base effectively adds depth of flavor to an imperfect stock.

Combined at low levels with ground meat, bases enhance meatballs, meatloaf and the like. According to Scott Gilbert, corporate executive chef at Cleveland-based Nestlé USA, which manufactures the Minor's brand, meat and other flavor bases work very nicely to enhance precooked items. Butter combined with roasted-beef base basted on a frozen, par-cooked burger during the final cook adds a succulent, beefy blast to perhaps an otherwise under-flavored item. With a bit of creative culinary play, chefs can use bases in countless applications. Instead of rolling plain noodles for beef stroganoff, add a beef base with pan-dripping highlights to the dough to enhance the meat flavor throughout.  

Not all meat bases are alike. Some beef bases add a general beefiness, while others enhance sirloin notes, and others still may highlight grill flavors. Similar variances exist within the chicken family. Be sure to identify the desired function that the base is to perform; then choose a base accordingly.   

Beef and chicken may be the most popular, but they are not the only protein base manufacturers offer. Varieties of ham, turkey and lamb provide chefs with more useful flavor-boosting tools. As within the chicken and beef categories, each of these items features a   variety of flavors, too. For example, a supplier may offer smoked ham, ham hock, or bacon in addition to a simple pork stock product. Added to split pea soup, mixed in empanada dough or incorporated into ranch dressing, these specialty bases allow foods to go hog wild.

A variety of seafood bases offers cooks flavor-enhancement capabilities for fish or shellfish broths, and finished dishes. Clam and lobster are the most popular, though manufacturers produce an array of seafood bases, each with different specific flavor profiles. As with meat products, suppliers offer a large selection, from the basic shellfish stock concentrate to gourmet options, like the fish fumet concentrate from Five Star Food Base Company, St. Paul, MN.

Specialty bases make gourmet flavors readily available to cooks in an easy-to-use, cost-friendly format. A whole new world of epicurean flavors and dishes are available in executive dining rooms, fast-casual restaurants, university cafeterias and large banquet halls, in addition to classic tableservice restaurants. And fast-food chains may receive products with bases as an ingredient, such as a chicken marinade, which can be used for broiler patties.

Many operators cannot afford to purchase, prepare and cook crustaceans to make bisque, for example, explains Burton. Incorporating lobster stock concentrate into the soup recipe bypasses time-consuming, labor-intensive steps, such as cooking the lobsters, removing the meat, and sautéing the shells.

With bases, foodservice operators can serve gourmet meals they otherwise would not have considered fiscally feasible. Cutting time and labor, using a demi-glace base mixed with roasted garlic and chipotle vegetable concentrates lets a fast-causal operator create an upscale Southwestern sauce for a chili-pepper-rubbed filet mignon.

The vegetable arena is where manufacturers and chefs play the most. Nonmeat bases make great starting points for operators creating foods for the vegetarian market, but when added to soups, sauces and even salad dressings, they beautifully enhance natural vegetable flavors. Smooth blends of traditional mirepoix and specialty bases, like sautéed onion and many others, are available. Because vegetable bases are more concentrated than regular vegetable purées, they deliver higher flavor intensity and more complexity.

When choosing a vegetable-paste base, look at the purée consistency and choose a product according to its application. Many concentrates are puréed somewhat roughly providing piece identity that adds visual appeal. For example, when mixed in Alfredo sauce, a roasted red pepper base may add not only the color and flavor of red bell peppers, but flecks of charred pepper skin or red pepper flesh.   Vegetable concentrates typically have 60% less salt than traditional bases and need to be refrigerated for safety reasons, not just flavor preservation.

Because of the skilled-labor shortage and savvy consumers demanding more natural and authentic-tasting foods, foodservice operators have focused on creating sophisticated foods as simply and quickly as possible. To address the need for easy-to-use products, manufacturers have created an abundance of specialty and gourmet bases or flavor concentrates for a variety of applications. Pepper assortments dominate this category. Chipotle, ancho, roasted red or green bell, serrano and poblano are just a few of the mild and fiery enhancers available. Pepper bases easily add spicy punch and menu variety, explains Gilbert. Cooks can easily add chipotle base to butter and toss it with vegetables to accompany a Southwestern entrée, he suggests.

Onion and garlic concentrates are popular replacements for sautéing onions and roasting garlic in-house. Chefs can use these flavor concentrates in applications across the board. For example, garlic pastes transform simple mashed potatoes into home-style roasted-garlic smashers. Alternatively, use onion base in conjunction with beef base to create the perfect broth for French onion soup in just minutes.

Bases originally were created to save cooks time by eliminating the tedious steps of scratch-making broths and stocks. Manufacturers now want to save time when adding ingredients, too. Bases with specific finished flavor profiles help to do this, explains Cawley. Ethnically seasoned bases capture typical flavor components in an easy-to-use form. The Latino base from Eatem mingles garlic, cumin, chili, onion and other spices in one paste product. Combining the Latino base with Chicken and Ancho bases simplifies the process for making a tortilla soup, Cawley suggests. Seasoning concentrates enhance flavors of other authentic dishes besides soups, such as empanadas, paella, arroz con pollo and albondigas. Furthermore, these seasoning bases make it very easy to bring innovation to other various categories, like salad dressings, marinades and condiments.

Kosher bases are also available, though many of these do not contain meat or are more likely to be sauce concentrates. Some companies, like Nestlé, manufacture kosher products on request only. Organic bases are also somewhat difficult to find. "They increase the food cost, and are still a niche product that only particular segments use on a consistent basis," explains Burton. Though markets such as university dining halls demand organics, they are rather expensive because of the limited ingredient supplies.

  "Sourcing raw materials for organics is specially problematic," explains Cawley. Suppliers cannot yet ensure the quantities needed will be available, he continues. Additionally, bases must meet government requirements to be certified organic, which also drives the cost up.

Most chefs and manufacturers think of traditional soup or meat concentrates as "bases," but dry and paste sauce concentrates also exist. Sauce bases, like hollandaise, Alfredo and others too numerous to list, offer cooks similar benefits in convenience and storage. Like meat and flavor concentrates, diluted and simmered, they offer chefs a great place to start developing recipes. Burton uses a hollandaise-sauce base for Aramark because it performs better than the classic egg-based emulsion sauce under the rigors of his operation. A 12-oz. jar of hollandaise-sauce concentrate yields approximately 44 oz. of finished sauce without cracking dozens of eggs or breaking an emulsion. With mild, lemon flavor undertones, the prepared product serves as a great starter for other sauces like the French classic béarnaise or a zesty cilantro lime. Using the concentrate also limits safety concerns associated with raw egg products.

"Labor and time savings are the answers to everything nowadays in foodservice," says Burton. In tableservice, many kitchen workers make minimum wage, yet competitors, often union houses, pay more. This scenario makes it difficult to entice the very best applicants, he adds. Qualified people who want these jobs are far and few between. The industry in general is going into convenience and proprietary blending. "Mixing two ingredients makes it is easier to win the labor battle when you don't have a qualified staff," says Burton. By cutting preparation and stove time, and simplifying the whole stock production process, bases alleviate the possibility for operator error. Unskilled cooks consistently create flavorful, fresh-tasting stocks and prepare refined entrées in a matter of minutes.

For many operators, the main advantage of using bases is the elimination of scratch stock production. "None of our facilities have the labor or space to make stocks," explains Burton. As the foundation for many dishes, from home-style chicken noodle soup to the rosemary demi-glace glaze over beef filet mignon, stocks are vital to any chef's repertoire. If stocks don't taste good, the final dishes also lack flavor. Having a rich, full-bodied liquid is key when cooking. But truly great meat stocks take hours to make. Chefs roast bones, dice vegetables, and assemble spice sachets. The mix is covered with water, and over delicate heat, it simmers for hours until the flavor fully develops. A brown beef stock can take up to 2 days to prepare from start to finish. Even a simple vegetable stock requires at least an hour of simmer time. In cramped kitchens and under tight deadlines, foodservice operators don't have the luxury of time to make stocks using this classic method.

Scratch-made stocks also require a tremendous amount of space. Ingredient storage space, stove space to simmer, and refrigerator space to store the cooled, finished product. Typically, 1 lb. of base mixed with 5 gal. of water yields the same amount of stock as 20 lbs. of bones without the hassle of buying and storing extra ingredients. In minutes instead of hours a delicious broth is ready to use in a variety of other applications. And because base pails occupy only a small area of the refrigerator, much coveted space is available for other uses.

Including bases in recipe development also saves money. "In many cases, if the ingredients of a soup recipe are priced, typically operators can find that it will cost four times less to make the same soup using bases," explains Minor. Labor, extra ingredients, equipment upkeep, and refrigeration costs contribute to the overall recipe cost, says Burton. Though the bases themselves may be somewhat pricy, the ultimate cost savings is substantial when numbers on making stocks from scratch are calculated and compared with the bases.

Bases are conveniently packed for foodservice users. From distributors or direct from manufacturers, they are sold in a variety of pail and pack sizes from 1-lb. containers to 50-lb. buckets (about 5 gal.). This versatility is great for operators. Some products, like beef stock, may get used often, so 5 gal. is sensible in a single operation. Smaller containers are useful for limited operations or when products are used infrequently. Many companies lock in freshness with vacuum foil seals under the lids. If product is leftover, the container lids can be re-closed for later use. Bases of all kinds help operators minimize safety concerns, and adhere to HACCP controls. A garlic base may cleanly replace chopped garlic in oil, which if improperly prepared or stored, can create a haven for anaerobic pathogens. Stocks can be made as needed, minimizing the likelihood of having to properly and safely cool large vats to food-safe temperatures. In general, bases offer cooks wholesome sources of flavor and minimize safety hazards.

The former perceptions of bases are changing out of necessity, explains Minor. Foodservice kitchens are smaller, more compact, and operators can't afford to have large pots simmer on stoves all day. So cooks incorporate bases of all types into their recipes, creating four-star-quality foods that entertain today's savvy diners.

"By carrying these key products, you have an incredible flavor library, a painter's palette. Imagination really is your only limitation," concludes Gilbert.

Chef Melanie Dubberley holds degrees in Food Biochemistry and Studio Art from the University of California, Davis, and a degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America, New York. Prior to founding Westfield, NJ-based TWC Associates, which provides food-writing, food-styling and product-development services, she held positions in white-tablecloth restaurants, quality assurance, flavor creation and international business development. Dubberley participates in her community's Mobile Meals program, and is an active member of both the Research Chefs Association and the IFT.

Back to top