On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 49

butterscotch.
TheDevelopmentofOff-Flavors The flavor
of good fresh milk can deteriorate in several
differentways.Simplecontactwithoxygenor
exposure to strong light will cause the
oxidation of phospholipids in the globule
membraneandachainofreactionsthatslowly
generate stale cardboard, metallic, fishy,
paint-likearomas.Ifmilkiskeptlongenough
to sour, it also typically develops fruity,
vinegary,malty,andmoreunpleasantnotes.
Exposuretosunlightorfluorescentlights
alsogeneratesadistinctivecabbage-like,
burntodor,whichappearstoresultfroma
reactionbetweenthevitaminriboflavinand
thesulfur-containingaminoacidmethionine.
Clearglassandplasticcontainersand
supermarketlightingcausethisproblem;
opaquecartonspreventit.
Unfermented
DairyProducts


Freshmilk,cream,andbuttermaynotbeas
prominentinEuropeanandAmericancooking
astheyoncewere,buttheyarestillessential
ingredients.Milkhasbubbleduptonew
prominenceatopthecoffeecrazeofthe1980s
and’90s.
Milks

Milkhasbecomethemoststandardizedofour
basicfoods.Onceuponatime,peoplelucky
enoughtolivenearafarmcouldtastethe
pastureandtheseasonsinmilkfreshfromthe
cow.Citylife,massproduction,andstricter
notionsofhygienehavenowputthat
experienceoutofreach.Todaynearlyallof
ourmilkcomesfromcowsofonebreed,the
black-and-whiteHolstein,keptinshedsand
fedyear-roundonauniformdiet.Large
dairiespoolthemilkofhundreds,even
thousandsofcows,thenpasteurizeitto
eliminatemicrobesandhomogenizeitto