PubChem CID · CC0
4-hydroxybenzoic acid
Cooking relevance
4-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-hydroxybenzoic acid) is a naturally occurring organic acid found in various foods. In culinary contexts, it contributes subtle phenolic and slightly astringent notes to flavor profiles. This compound serves primarily as a food preservative rather than a primary flavor driver, though it may contribute minor sensory characteristics in fermented and aged products where it accumulates naturally.
- aroma
- subtle phenolic · slightly astringent · minimal direct aroma impact
- culinary role
- preservative compound · minor contributor to aged/fermented product character
- mass spectra
- 78 verified
Research associations
Literature-derived · peer-reviewed sources only · not medical advice
Foods containing this compound
Coffee is a brewed beverage prepared from the roasted or baked seeds of several species of an evergreen shrub of the genus Coffea. The two most common sources of coffee beans are the highly regarded Coffea arabica, and the "robusta" form of the hardier Coffea canephora. The latter is resistant to the coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix), but has a more bitter taste. Coffee plants are cultivated in more than 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Once ripe, coffee "berries" are picked, processed and dried to yield the seeds inside. The seeds are then roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor, before being ground and brewed to create coffee.
Rye bread is a type of bread made with various percentages of flour from rye grain. It can be light or dark in color, depending on the type of flour used and the addition of coloring agents, and is typically denser than bread made from wheat flour. It is higher in fiber than many common types of bread and is often darker in color and stronger in flavor. [Wikipedia]
Source
Compound data linked to PubChem CID 135, public domain via NCBI. Culinary context + ingredient mappings are maintained by Foodgeist's enrichment fleet and continuously re-matched by the pairings engine. PubChem CID 135



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