On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 48

saturatedmilkfatfluidatbodytemperature,
andwhicharesmallenoughthattheycan
evaporateintotheairandreachournose.
Normally,freefattyacidsgiveanundesirable,
soapyflavortofoods.Butinsparing
quantities,the4-to12-carbonrumenfatty
acids,branchedversionsofthese,andacidalcoholcombinationscalledesters,provide
milkwithitsfundamentalblendofanimaland
fruitynotes.Thedistinctivesmellsofgoat
andsheepmilksareduetotwoparticular
branched8-carbonfattyacids(4-ethyloctanoic,4-methyl-octanoic)thatareabsent
incow’smilk.Buffalomilk,fromwhich
traditionalmozzarellacheeseismade,hasa
characteristicblendofmodifiedfattyacids
reminiscentofmushroomsandfreshlycut
grass,togetherwithabarnyardynitrogen
compound(indole).
Thebasicflavoroffreshmilkisaffected
bytheanimals’feed.Dryhayandsilageare
relativelypoorinfatandproteinandproduce


alesscomplicated,mildlycheesyaroma,
whilelushpasturageprovidesrawmaterialfor
sweet,raspberry-likenotes(derivativesof
unsaturatedlong-chainfattyacids),aswellas
barnyardyindoles.
Flavors from Cooking Low-temperature
pasteurization (p. 22) slightly modifies milk
flavor by driving off some of the more
delicate aromas, but stabilizes it by

inactivating enzymes and bacteria, and adds
slightly sulfury and green-leaf notes
(dimethylsulfide,hexanal).High-temperature
pasteurization or brief cooking — heating
milkabove170ºF/76ºC—generatestracesof
many flavorful substances, including those
characteristic of vanilla, almonds, and
cultured butter, as well as eggy hydrogen
sulfide. Prolonged boiling encourages
browning or Maillard reactions between
lactose and milk proteins, and generates
molecules that combine to give the flavor of