The inherent notes in coffee, the subtle flavor of anise or fennel, incredibly dark chocolate, the sharpness of arugula, the unique flavor of broccoli rabe, a particularly pucker-y grapefruit, endive, radicchio, rhubarb, Aperol, citrus — despite being a note many fear, bitterness plays a role in so many ingredients but is so rarely harnessed to elevate dishes, no matter if sweet or savory.
That's one of the reasons why, in this week's "Top Chef" Quick Fire challenge, the cheftestants were asked to prepare a dish with hops, one of the primary building blocks of beer. Although you’re probably not going to be using hops in your next meal, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t harness bitterness and its often underrated culinary capabilities.
