New to DIY?
Who is DIY Flavours?
DIY Flavours Inc is a family-owned and operated business based in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Since our founding in 2014, we have been committed to offering the best ingredients and customer service in the industry.
Our wide selection of concentrated flavourings allows customers to create their own unique flavours for a variety of applications, from beverages to baked goods. Our team of flavour experts is dedicated to providing the highest level of quality and support to help our customers succeed in their flavour creations.
At DIY Flavours Inc, we are proud of our commitment to using only the finest ingredients and ensuring the best possible customer experience. As a family-owned and operated business, we are dedicated to helping our customers achieve the perfect flavour every time.
What are Flavours?
(Also known as concentrates, essences or extracts)
Flavour is a substance added to food or other items to impart a specific taste. While the perception is that flavour is entirely through taste, that isn’t quite correct. Up to 80% of what we taste actually comes from our sense of smell! Our bodies are equipped with receptors that sense chemicals which our brains then perceive as flavour; therefore these perceptions can be altered through natural or artificial means. Food flavourings contain the chemicals that produce these sensations without requiring you to actually use the desired source (ex. apple flavouring as opposed to eating a whole apple). Food flavourings are highly concentrated chemical compounds, whether naturally or artificially derived, that should always be diluted before use.
Natural or Artificial?
Every food available to mankind is made up of chemical compositions. For example, cinnamon - that slightly bitter, sweet smelling spice that flavours so many of our desserts - is actually the dried inner bark of a species of tree. While that could be called natural, when you look at what gives cinnamon its distinctive flavour, cinnamaldehyde, you find a chemical instead!
Both natural and artificial flavours contain chemicals, the difference is in the source; natural flavours are derived from edible products while artificial flavours are created from inedible ones. Even though the resulting chemical is structurally the same (see our friend cinnamaldehyde) the base source dictates whether it’s a natural or artificial flavouring. Synthetic chemicals generally cost less to produce and are potentially safer having removed the vagaries of nature from their composition.
Flavorists have much more control over every aspect of the flavours that they develop than a “natural” extract that may have pesticides, unwanted chemical residue, impure genealogy or a myriad of other variables.
Here at DIY we offer both natural and artificial flavours for your convenience.
How Do I Use Flavours?
Start small and experiment! Everyone is different and that includes taste – you may want a little or you may want a LOT of flavour. The choice is up to you. The flavours that we sell are generally highly concentrated and will depend on utilization. For example, if being added to coffee you might use just a few drops. If you’re making pancakes you might want to increase your amount to a teaspoon. If you decide that you would love a lavender bath bomb or lemon scented soap, you may require quite a bit more. Any end product that is being heated will require slightly more flavouring to start. So there you are! A quick intro to DIY Flavours. Please check out our Frequently Asked Questions for further tips or information.