Charcoal vs. Gas Grilling: Are There Differences in Taste?

If you love grilling foods, then you may have encountered the adage that gas grilling imbues an off-taste to some foodstuffs, while charcoal refines and accentuates the taste of whatever food you grill on top of it. If you have noticed the differences in taste, you are not alone, as this is something backed up by facts.

Regardless of whether or not you are a veteran grill master or a newbie at barbecuing food, you will invariably notice that there is indeed a slightly off-smell whenever you are grilling with gas. This is an inescapable drawback to gas grilling that so far has found no viable solution.

While there are flammable gases which are tasteless and odourless, these have a tendency to be unfit for use in culinary applications. It is also a well-known prerequisite in the flammable gas industry that their material has to be laced with some type of palpable scent, to enable people to detect any leaks for the purpose of preventing fires from occurring.

The scent of gas is somewhat unpleasant, and has been compared to many things, but is often is called a ‘chemical’ or ‘artificial, turpentine-like’ smell. In contrast, charcoal grilling imparts some aroma to food, and in most cases is practically odourless.

Here are some of the differences charcoal grilling has over gas:

• Well-rounded, smokey flavour profile – cooking with charcoal imparts a slightly smoky flavour to your food, and it helps to build a well-rounded flavour profile that incorporates some boldness and fullness, accompanied by a slight bittersweet, caramelised aftertaste that makes everything from meats to vegetables taste better.

• Different aromatic nuances – depending on the wood that the charcoal was originally made out of, such as mallee root or mangrove wood, it can imbue certain aromatic nuances to whatever you are cooking. Aside from the smokiness that it can impart on your foodstuffs, specific types of charcoal can accentuate the flavours of fish, meat, poultry, or vegetables.

The flavour profile of your food will largely depend on the type of charcoal you use, which is why it is advised to purchase only quality mangrove or mallee root charcoals.

• Tenderness – more a matter of heat than aroma, those foods that have been cooked in charcoal have obtained a certain tenderness that cannot be rivaled by gas or stove top cooking.

If you are looking for an excellent resource for quality mallee root charcoal and mangrove charcoal, then visit John Tiras today. We are a wholesaler and retailer of quality charcoal and firewood in Melbourne.

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