EXPLORETECHNIQUESSteam

Steam

Wet heat

Cooking in water, stock, or steam. Mutes acidity and pungency. Tends toward tender and silky textures.

01At a glance

CategoryWet heat

Taste impact↓ Sour, Heat

TextureTender, Silky

02How to do it

1Bring water to a boil below a basket or rack, with the food above the waterline.
2Arrange the food in a single layer for even exposure.
3Cover and steam, keeping the water boiling and topped up.
4Check early — steaming is fast and gentle.

03Doneness & pitfalls

Doneness cues

Vegetables are bright and tender-crisp; fish flakes; dumplings turn translucent and set.

Common mistakes

Food touching the water boils instead of steams.
Lifting the lid often releases steam and stalls the cooking.
Letting the pot boil dry scorches it.

04How it shifts taste

Taste multipliers

mutesamplifies

Sweet

—

Sour

0.95×

Salty

—

Bitter

—

Umami

—

Fat

—

Heat

0.90×

05Texture outcomes

Tender9.0

Silky7.2

Ingredients it suits· 18