User:Dennis Brown/Meld (cooking)

The culinary term meld means to blend flavors in a dish. This is done in a variety of ways depending on the ingredients used. One of the most common methods of melding is to simmer over low heat for extended periods of time, as in the case of many sauces.

Purpose
Many herbs such as rosemary and bay leaf are slow to release their flavor and require many minutes or even hours for the essential oils and flavonoids to impart in a dish they are being cooked in. Additionally, if someone is cooking with cubed meats, it may take some time for the meat to absorb the various spices and seasonings. Not every food dish is designed to create a homogeneous mix of flavors, but many dishes such as spaghetti sauce (as well as many other Italian sauces), Chili con carne and many soups and stews are prepared in a way that allows all the flavors to meld together to create a uniform dish, but with different textures. In other cases, such as spaghetti sauce, the sauce has both a uniform texture and taste, but will be added with other ingredients as it is being served.