Went seaweed foraging and decided to experiment with different seaweed. When I boiled it, the seaweed tasted fine, but when I tried to air fry it so it's crisp some turned out sour. Anyone know why?
Hopefully, this will help in understanding the fact that natural diversity within the seaweed species is large, and therefore, there is distinctness in their chemical constitution and flavor. These distinctions lead them to react to cooking in dissimilar forms. While boiling, the heat will only be transferred uniformly and gently, softening the seaweed without necessarily affecting the taste too much, thus air-frying includes very high direct heat and fast hot air. And this method might actually improve or change some of those flavor compounds to potentially develop into sour or undesirable tastes in some other seaweed species.
Attention should further be paid to the interaction of seaweed with any other ingredient that may be added during the air frying process. Oils, seasonings, or marinades—all these should be looked at as chemically alterable at high heats toward a sour-tasting profile.
I recommend experiment with other seaweed varieties under different air frying conditions like try it low and slow or try to use only one seasoning at a time. Such kind of optimization may bring a difference in the overall taste and textural characteristics of air-fried seaweeds towards making a culinary-accepted product.
Make sure and let me know know how your next batch turns out I am legitimately Curious, also what type of seaweed was it?
Hopefully, this will help in understanding the fact that natural diversity within the seaweed species is large, and therefore, there is distinctness in their chemical constitution and flavor. These distinctions lead them to react to cooking in dissimilar forms. While boiling, the heat will only be transferred uniformly and gently, softening the seaweed without necessarily affecting the taste too much, thus air-frying includes very high direct heat and fast hot air. And this method might actually improve or change some of those flavor compounds to potentially develop into sour or undesirable tastes in some other seaweed species.
Attention should further be paid to the interaction of seaweed with any other ingredient that may be added during the air frying process. Oils, seasonings, or marinades—all these should be looked at as chemically alterable at high heats toward a sour-tasting profile.
I recommend experiment with other seaweed varieties under different air frying conditions like try it low and slow or try to use only one seasoning at a time. Such kind of optimization may bring a difference in the overall taste and textural characteristics of air-fried seaweeds towards making a culinary-accepted product.