Why does low-fat food taste flat?

Fat barely has a taste of its own - its real job is carrying everyone else's.

Many of the molecules we smell in food are fat-soluble rather than water-soluble. Fat dissolves these aroma compounds, holds onto them, and releases them slowly as you chew - so a dish with fat tastes fuller and lingers longer. Strip the fat out and much of that aroma leaves with it.

Full-fat milk tastes rich and rounded; skim milk tastes thin and watery - same cow, but the fat that carried the flavor is gone.

Fat is the messenger for flavor, so a splash of oil or butter makes a dish taste more of itself.

Knowing fat carries aroma explains why a drizzle of oil rescues a bland dish, and why fat-free versions often disappoint.

Fat is the taxi - the flavor molecules are the passengers it carries to your tongue and nose.

Learn the idea and practice English at the same time.