Reduce
Wet heat
Cooking in water, stock, or steam. Amplifies sweetness, acidity, saltiness, savory depth, richness, and pungency.
01At a glance
CategoryWet heat
Taste impact↑ Sweet, Sour, Salty, Umami, Fat, Heat
Texture—
02How to do it
- 1Pour the liquid into a wide pan to maximize the evaporating surface.
- 2Simmer or gently boil, uncovered.
- 3Let it cook down, stirring occasionally, until the volume and body are right.
- 4Season at the end — reducing concentrates the salt.
03Doneness & pitfalls
Doneness cues
- The liquid coats the back of a spoon and the flavor is concentrated.
- The volume has dropped to the target (e.g. by half).
Common mistakes
- Seasoning early over-salts the finished reduction.
- Reducing too far turns sauces sticky or bitter.
- A narrow pan reduces slowly — use a wide one.
04How it shifts taste
Taste multipliers
mutesamplifies
Sweet
1.40×
Sour
1.40×
Salty
1.40×
Bitter
—
Umami
1.40×
Fat
1.40×
Heat
1.20×
Ingredients it suits· 18