Even those who do not understand cooking know that before frying food https://greenelly.com/ over an open fire, they should be covered with marinade. This word comes from the Latin mare (sea), because the first marinade was simple sea water. Even in ancient times, people discovered that if they pre-soak fish, meat or poultry in it, then after cooking they turn out more juicy and appetizing. Therefore, sea water was used as a natural marinade by almost all peoples who lived on the shores of the seas. (And in Scandinavia, some types of sea fish are still not only soaked, but also boiled in sea water.) But this, of course, is not the end of the story. Over time, marinade recipes became more and more varied and depended on the main product – meat, fish, game, poultry, vegetables, mushrooms or fruits. For example, in the countries of Southern Europe, where viticulture developed, vinegar, which is obtained during the fermentation of wine, was added to the marinade instead of salt. And later, recipes appeared where wine itself was used for pickling, since it also contains the acids and antibacterial substances necessary for this. And of course, various spices began to be introduced into marinades, which give the products an unforgettable taste and smell.
Nowadays, pickling as a culinary technique is used in almost all national cuisines, but is especially popular in French and a number of oriental ones. What are its advantages?
Yes, the fact is that marinating allows you to emphasize the taste of food. Another plus is that pickled foods last longer, because acid and spices are natural preservatives.
Thanks to the acid, they lose less water during cooking, and as a result the dish is not only soft, but also juicy.
Since a variety of products and techniques are used for pickling, in order not to get confused in all this, several classifications of marinades were invented. Cooks divide them according to the type of product, classifying the first category as marinades, which are used in the preparation of meat, game and poultry before cooking, and the second, which are used in the preparation of fish, vegetables and mushrooms. But, of course, that’s not all. In addition, a distinction is made between raw and heated marinades, as well as dry and liquid.