Great question! Aromatics simply refer to items that add an aroma to a dish. Spices are a really great example of this, cloves are really pungent and when you add them to a dish. And you can usually taste them too, that flavor you’re mostly getting through smell. Aromatics add depth to a dish. Because when we eat in a way your somewhat tasting what your smelling, it’s why garlic and onions can seem so strong. They are ingredients often used for their aromatic qualities. Most items you use will have some sort of aromatic note to it. Most foods give off a smell. That’s an aromatic! Usually aromatics are referred to foods that give off a strong smell. So we’re not going for direct taste with the season but for an aroma to enhance and compliment the taste. A good example of something that isn’t a strong aromatic is salt. When cooking most people would be able to tell if a dish is salted just by smelling it. Though I did hear about one chef who was able to discern if a dish was salty enough just by smelling it, which is really cool!

Knowing when to salt and when not to salt is basically a superpower in terms of leveling up your cooking. It adds a level of intention to the dish it didn’t have before and you’d be amazing at how much more depth a dish can have when salt is added at the right time.

That is an idea, that I think will lead down a very dark path... And I'm 100% here for it.