Seasoning Classification

From the perspective of origin, most seasonings are derived directly or indirectly from plants, while a few are animal-based (such as dried bonito flakes used in miso soup in Japanese cuisine) or synthetic ingredients (such as MSG). From the perspective of the flavors added, seasonings can be categorized as sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, umami, and numbing. The aromas added can include sweet, spicy, minty, and fruity notes. From the perspective of technology used, ancient seasonings were mostly natural (such as salt, soybean oil, sugar, and star anise), while today, Chinese people mostly use compound seasonings (MSG, chicken essence, chicken powder), and foreign countries mostly use pure natural seasonings extracted using high technology.