Description
Cooking technique
Technical
Sweating in cooking is the gentle heating of vegetables in a little oil or butter, with frequent stirring and turning to ensure that any emitted liquid will evaporate. Sweating usually results in tender, sometimes translucent, pieces. Sweating is often a preliminary step to further cooking in liquid; onions, in particular, are often sweated before including in a stew. This differs from sautéing in that sweating is done over a much lower heat, sometimes with salt added to help draw moisture away, and making sure that little or no browning takes place.
Science
Primary Reaction
Maillard Reaction
Sensory Profile
Aroma ()
Wine Analogy
Similar to the gentle extraction of aromas in white wine fermentation
Coffee Analogy
Comparable to the first crack phase in coffee roasting where sugars begin to caramelize
Perfume Analogy
Like the heart notes in perfumery where base aromas emerge without burning
Culinary Applications
Dietary
Molecular Pairing
Key Compounds Produced