7 "magical" cooking secrets that women absolutely cannot miss.

1. Enjoy the Fifth Flavor

In the 19th century, French chef Auguste Escoffier invented a fifth flavor, supplementing the four known flavors of sour, sweet, salty, and bitter. Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda confirmed its existence. This fifth flavor is similar to that of soy sauce; it's difficult to explain but easy to recognize. It's also called umami; rich in glutamate—the substance that gives meat its texture.

Today, famous chefs frequently use soy sauce in their dishes. Adding a few drops of soy sauce to steamed dishes or soups will enhance their flavor significantly.

2. Cornstarch will make your fried eggs softer and fluffier.

Most fried dishes will taste much better if you add a little cornstarch during cooking. Chefs all agree that adding cornstarch makes eggs softer and fluffier, and also shortens the cooking time. Typically, you should add about 1 teaspoon of cornstarch for 3 eggs.

3. Pay attention to the oil temperature.

Pay attention to the oil temperature when frying or stir-frying, as it will determine the color and flavor of the dish. You don't need a thermometer to measure the oil temperature in the pan; you can use chopsticks. When oil bubbles form around the tips of the chopsticks, you can add the vegetables to stir-fry. When you see smoke starting to rise, add the meat to stir-fry.

4. For a beautiful golden color in baked goods, use black tea.

When kneading the dough, add a little black tea to give it a brown color. After baking, the crust will be more golden and the flavor will be more appealing.

5. For better-tasting coffee, add butter.

If you like black coffee but want it a little weaker without adding water, add a small piece of butter. Butter will make the coffee "softer" and more fragrant.

6. How to make dough rise faster

If you don't have time to wait, you can speed up the dough rising process by putting the kneaded dough with yeast into a zip-lock bag and placing it in a bowl of warm water. This will stimulate the fermentation process and make the dough rise faster, about 15 minutes.

7. How to tenderize meat quickly

To tenderize meat faster when making stews, add banana peels while simmering. Banana peels help the meat tenderize faster and enhance the flavor in a way no other seasoning can.