Raw foods get exposed to some form of heat and then are called ‘cooked’ for consumption. The term TEXTURE is used to describe the characteristics of a finished (ready-to-eat) food product. The final product will have a certain texture depending on
- the order in which ingredients are added
- the way of mixing
- the method of cooking
A correct texture has to be brought about in the food. The chef should not only know the correct texture but should be able to produce the same in the food. The various textures which are listed down, are difficult to explain in words, they should be felt and understood better. There are very thin differences between some of these, which one should learn better during practical.
1. Firm and close – biscuits and plain short pastries can explain this texture. Raising agents are used while preparing these, but they do not make the product very light or brittle. In fact, they are hard as a result of many tiny air bubbles created by raising agents. But the biscuits are not too hard either, because of the fat included.
2. Short and crumbly – nankhatai and tarts are good examples of this texture. Fat included is more than that in biscuits, so it breaks more easily into smaller particles.
3. Spongy – Swiss rolls, sponge cakes, idli, and dhokla are spongy. A soft, elastic texture due to the incorporation of more air results in this texture.
4. Light – Madeira cake has plenty of large holes in it, making it ‘light’. It is firm, but not hard and tough. It is neither as short as a tart nor as spongy as a Swiss roll.
5. Flaky – chiroti, lacchha paratha, chicken or veg puffs and Khara biscuits are flaky. Thin, crisp layers are formed by spreading fat in between two layers of dough which get separated during baking/frying and remain separated due to air pockets. The flakes by themselves should not be tough/hard. Ideally, the layers break easily and melt in the mouth.
6. Coarse – large and uneven holes are a result of too much of the raising agent or too little liquid. This is not a good texture to have in food; in fact, it is something to be avoided. Such cakes and other products are sunken at the center.
7. Tough – too much liquid, over mixing, incorrect mixing, too little fat and long cooking time could result in toughness in food. Mostly, like the coarse texture, this also is to be avoided.
8. Hard – another texture which should be avoided as far as possible. In fact, it is considered to be a fault in the product. Too much pressure while mixing, excessive liquid in the product and incorrect quantity of fat result in this texture. Air that is incorporated gets removed out of the mixture, making the final product hard.