Aromatics, in culinary use, refers to ingredients that are added for their contribution to the aroma or fragrance of the final dish. If often refers to a bundle or mixture of plants that are used together to build the foundation of a dish.
Examples of aromatic mixtures include:
- Mirepoix, the French mixture of onion, celery and carrot
- Sofrito, the Italian mixture, also of onion, carrot, and celery
- Sofrito, the Latin American mixture, which starts with onion, carrot, and celery, but may add tomatoes, chilis, and bell peppers. When garlic is added it becomes refogado.
- Curry Paste, the Thai mixture of shallot, garlic, and chilis, possibly with lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal, and coconut milk
- Numerous Indian mixtures built on spices in oil, such as cumin, cardamon and cloves cooked in ghee. See Indian sauces for more.
- Chinese stir fry seasoning bases, often built with garlic, ginger, and scallions. Sichuan cooks will add sichuan peppers, which are often removed from the oil once they have given their fragrance to the dish
- The Cajun "Holy Trinity" of onion, celery, and green onion
- The Middle Eastern base of garlic, onion, green tomatoes, tomatoes, and raisins, seasoned with ginger, cumin, cardamom, sumac, baharat, tumeric, cinnamon and saffron.