How to color braised dishes?

When people usually evaluate a dish, they usually make a comprehensive assessment based on aspects such as color and aroma. However, color is the first thing we see with our eyes. Only when the color of the dish is good will it attract people to taste it. This shows that the color of the dish is very important. There are many people who like to eat braised dishes. However, braised dishes are delicious and good-looking, and how to color them is what many people care about most.

How to color stewed dishes?

1. Caramel color

The most basic way to color marinated products is to use caramel color.

All craftsmen who make braised dishes must know how to do it. Stir-frying sugar color and frying it for a long time are one of the basic skills of making braised dishes. Fry the tang with oil or water until it is half burnt, then add water to make sugar color.

Water, this water can add color to braised dishes.

In addition to the most important and basic caramel color, yellow gardenia, red yeast rice, etc. can also be used to color braised dishes.

There are a few stalls selling braised dishes that use nitrite to color the dishes, and some even add pigments directly. This is unethical and a sign of low technical standards.

In fact, as long as you have good skills and are willing to work hard, you can use natural ingredients to make braised dishes that are delicious and tasty. For coloring, there is no need to use any chemical additives, just natural ingredients such as caramel color, yellow gardenia, red yeast rice, etc.

2. Red Yeast Rice

Please note when using red yeast rice: it is best to soak the red yeast rice in water, and then pour the soaking water into the brine to color the ingredients, rather than putting the red yeast rice directly into the brine. Because red yeast rice is made from rice through a special fermentation process, putting it directly into brine can easily cause the brine to become sour.

3. Yellow Gardenia

Please note when using yellow gardenia: the color dyed with yellow gardenia will darken significantly when exposed to sunlight. Yellow gardenia will also react with iron ions to turn the brine and ingredients black. Therefore, when using yellow gardenia for coloring, avoid using iron tools, such as iron pots, iron spoons, etc.

4. Chili

Then let’s talk about a more special coloring material: chili pepper. Chili peppers can be used as seasoning, coloring and aroma. It is a food with good color, aroma and taste. When using chili peppers for coloring, you should note that the natural pigment components of chili peppers are oil-soluble and have poor water solubility. Therefore, the chili peppers should be made into red oil for painting or dipping, rather than boiled in water or directly used chili powder for coloring.