WEBVTT - How Does Liquid Smoke Work?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstufe, a production of I Heart Radio. Hey

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff, Lauren vog obamb here. You've probably had liquid

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<v Speaker 1>smoke in barbecue, sauces, ketchup and marinades. Maybe in ribs, wings, cheese,

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<v Speaker 1>or vegetarian burger patties, And yes, if you're a fan

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<v Speaker 1>of McDonald's beloved mc ribbed sandwich, it's part of what

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<v Speaker 1>gives that cult favorite its flavor. A liquid smoke is,

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<v Speaker 1>as it says on the label, a smoky liquid flavoring

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<v Speaker 1>that can help cooks replicate in seconds the taste, if

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<v Speaker 1>not texture, of having smoked a food for hours, a

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<v Speaker 1>secret ingredient to some and a blasphemous sheet to others,

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<v Speaker 1>like devoted barbecue enthusiasts. A liquid smoke is made from

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<v Speaker 1>actual condensed smoke that goes through a purifying process, so

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<v Speaker 1>a food made with it can taste pretty undiscernible from

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<v Speaker 1>a food to which you know smokey smoke has been applied.

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<v Speaker 1>Though the product we know today was invented by Ernest W.

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<v Speaker 1>Wright in liquid smoke actually dates back to the seventeenth century,

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<v Speaker 1>when wood vinegar was used as a flavoring agent and

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<v Speaker 1>preservative for meats. All right. Meanwhile, was inspired to create

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<v Speaker 1>liquid smoke from a memory he had as a child

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<v Speaker 1>of dark liquid trickling down his stove pipe. He improved

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<v Speaker 1>the process of condensing and collecting smoke in water and

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<v Speaker 1>commercialized the process by the start of the twentieth century.

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<v Speaker 1>By the nineteen sixties, liquid smoke was approved by the

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<v Speaker 1>US Food and Drug Administration and stocked in most supermarkets

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<v Speaker 1>across the continental United States on its own and in

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<v Speaker 1>packaged sauces, deli meats, cheeses, snacks, and more. A bottle

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<v Speaker 1>is shelf stable for up to two years, and you

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<v Speaker 1>can incorporate it into an endless number of recipes, from

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<v Speaker 1>dressings to dips two stews. Though a little goes a

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<v Speaker 1>long way, and yes, it is made from real smoke.

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<v Speaker 1>Producer will start by heating wood chips or sawdust until

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<v Speaker 1>they start to smolder and smoke the stage right before

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<v Speaker 1>they would produce actual fire, at which point the wood

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<v Speaker 1>starts undergoing thermal decomposition, also known as pyrolysis. The exact

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<v Speaker 1>chemical composition of the wood plus the amount of moisture

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<v Speaker 1>it contains, are going to affect the temperature at which

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<v Speaker 1>the wood starts breaking down and how much smoke it produces,

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<v Speaker 1>and what compounds are in that smoke. The producer collects

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<v Speaker 1>that smoke in a chamber that's relatively cool and contains water, vapor,

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<v Speaker 1>and some of the stuff in the smoke will condense

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<v Speaker 1>and collect into a water based liquid. Note that when

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<v Speaker 1>you smoke a food over a fire, you're forcing the

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<v Speaker 1>smoke condensed directly on the relatively cool food. The process

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<v Speaker 1>is technically very similar, but when you're making liquid smoke,

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<v Speaker 1>you're getting the smoke to collect on water instead of food.

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<v Speaker 1>But you may have heard that smoke is bad for you,

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<v Speaker 1>and it is. That's why. After it's collected, liquid smoke

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<v Speaker 1>goes through a multi stage filtration process to remove compound

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<v Speaker 1>that you don't want, such as known carcinogens like polycyclic

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<v Speaker 1>aromatic hydrocarbons or pH What you're left with are a

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<v Speaker 1>few groups of compounds that give liquid smoke its color, flavor,

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<v Speaker 1>and functional properties like antimicrobial properties, all mixed into a

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<v Speaker 1>watery base. Some brands bottle it and seladas is. Others

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<v Speaker 1>flavor and color it with stuff like vinegar, salt, and sweeteners.

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<v Speaker 1>For industrial food production, it might be further processed into

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<v Speaker 1>an oil or a powder for easy addition to say

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<v Speaker 1>barbecue flavored snap chips. Of course, no clever food flavoring

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<v Speaker 1>is without its controversy, and liquid smoke is no different,

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<v Speaker 1>and when applied to food, it's not exactly like the

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<v Speaker 1>sensory experience of the food having been cooked by smoking.

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<v Speaker 1>A liquid smoke tends to be a little less bitter

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<v Speaker 1>or acrid, a little less powerful on the palate, and

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<v Speaker 1>less penetrative unless you take steps to really get it

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<v Speaker 1>in there. And of course, part of what you get

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<v Speaker 1>when you smoke a food food is texture from that

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<v Speaker 1>food havn't been exposed to low heat from the smoldering

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<v Speaker 1>wood for probably a long time, which can break down

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<v Speaker 1>tough connective tissue and make foods really tender. Liquid smoke

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<v Speaker 1>won't do that. Though of course, you can cook food

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<v Speaker 1>low and slow in say a Dutch oven or s

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<v Speaker 1>Suvi bath for the texture, and add a touch of

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<v Speaker 1>liquid smoke for the flavor, it still won't be exactly

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<v Speaker 1>the same thing. Though. Today's episode is based on the

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<v Speaker 1>article liquid smoke, Why You Either Love It or Hate

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<v Speaker 1>It on how stuff works dot com, written by Jeremy Glass.

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<v Speaker 1>Or more about liquid smoke check out my other podcast Savor.

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<v Speaker 1>We did a whole episode on it back in November.

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<v Speaker 1>Brain Stuff is production of by Heart Radio in partnership

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<v Speaker 1>with house to works dot com, and it's produced by

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<v Speaker 1>Tyler Clay. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit

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<v Speaker 1>the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

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<v Speaker 1>listen to your favorite shows.