Engineering Aroma at Scale: The Techno-Commercial Science Behind Biryani's Flavour Integrity

In India, biryani is more than a dish—it's a cultural phenomenon.

- Kishore Kumar, Technocommercial Head, F1rst

But in the world of industrial food production, biryani presents a unique challenge: how do you preserve its complex, spice-driven flavour profile when scaling up to millions of servings?

With over ~174 million biryani orders placed on Swiggy and Zomato in 2024 alone, the pressure to deliver consistent, authentic flavour at a commercial scale has never been greater.

This article explores the volatile nature of spice compounds, the mechanisms of flavour loss during industrial processing, and the techno-commercial strategies that manufacturers are adopting to retain and enhance biryani's signature aroma.

The Volatile Truth: Why Industrial Processing Scatters Flavour

The hallmark of biryani lies in its nuanced spice blend—Cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and ginger-garlic paste and other ingredients mentioned in the list below —all rich in volatile flavour compounds. These molecules are chemically unstable and easily lost during industrial cooking.

Traditional Dum cooking traps these volatiles in a sealed pot, allowing them to reabsorb into the cooking oil, rice and meat. In contrast, industrial processing exposes them to five major mechanisms of loss:

• Thermal Degradation: High heat breaks down sensitive molecules like eugenol.

Volatilisation & Venting: Steam-jacketed vessels release aroma-laden vapour during pressure venting.

Oxidation: Air exposure during grinding and mixing leads to flavour deterioration.

Leaching: Water-soluble volatiles are lost in cooking liquor.

Adsorption: Spice oils bind to carriers in RTC mixes, muting their impact until cooking.

Flavour Retention: Engineering the New Dum

To preserve biryani's authenticity, flavour retention must be prioritised. This involves mimicking the protective conditions of Dum cooking through advanced processing strategies.

Controlled Thermal Processing