bittersweet

The adjective bittersweet is used to rate the combination of sweet and sour. Bittersweet flavors, therefore, mix these two characteristics. For example: "I'm going to order the chicken with sweet and sour sauce.", "Last night I had sweet and sour pork with carrot puree for dinner", "I don't like sweet and sour dishes".

Notably, something sour is perceived as acid. In this way, when we eat some bittersweet food, we will notice a flavor with a certain sweetness, but at the same time with touches of acidity. In some countries, there is a long tradition in the preparation of sweet and sour recipes.

In the chinese gastronomy, to cite one case, the use of the so-called sweet and sour sauce. In reality, there are multiple recipes to make sweet and sour sauces, which can include oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, soy sauce or honey, among other ingredients.

The sweet and sour pork is a preparation that consists of cutting the pork into cubes, frying them and serving them in a sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and ketchup. The usual thing is to accompany the meat with onion, bell pepper (pepper) and pineapple.

Although traditional cuisine seems to be intended only for people who eat meat, eggs and milk, we must not forget that millions have chosen to avoid products of animal origin. For them, veganThere are also endless sweet and sour dishes.

Such is the case of sweet and sour tofu, an easy recipe to prepare, ideal to combine with white rice or boiled vegetables. It is prepared with a thick sauce based on cornstarch, olive oil, garlic, ginger, chili, tomato paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar and water; then it is combined with bits of tofu previously dehydrated and cooked in the pan with a little olive oil until golden brown and crisp. When serving, it is recommended to decorate with toasted sesame seeds.

It could be said that bittersweet dishes are found in that small list of products that serve to classify the different types of diners according to their pleasures. In general, the palate of the little ones is not prepared to enjoy this mixture of flavors, especially because of the diet they normally receive from their elders: they teach us to separate the salty from the sweet.

For this reason, when we try a bittersweet recipe for the first time, the reaction may be one of rejection, although this does not necessarily indicate that we cannot adapt and begin to appreciate this plane of gastronomy. After a suitable transition stage, in which we open ourselves more and more to the combination of salt and sugar, it is likely that our palate will mature and begin to enjoy it.

The idea bittersweet can also be used in a symbolic sense. When a situation causes a certain joy but, simultaneously, it brings something that generates uneasiness or annoyance, can be classified as bittersweet: "It was a bittersweet triumph for the national team: it allowed them to close the tournament with a victory, but it was not enough to qualify for the next round", "It will be a bittersweet birthday because my mother and sister will come, although my father will not be able to be present since he is traveling for work reasons".

Similarly, there are those who claim that life is full of bittersweet momentsSince it is not possible to extend happiness indefinitely, nor is it common for someone to suffer constant misfortunes for days, months and years. On the contrary, our existence is a fusion irregularities of very diverse events, covering those situations that make us as happy as those that make us deeply saddened, and we must accept the rules.