The Essence of Gastronomy: Understanding the Flavor of Foods and Beverages (Hardcover)

Introduction
There is No Reason to Argue about Taste
Struggling with Words
Source of Pleasure
Times Have Changed
Setting the Stage
Gastronomy, the Science of Flavor and Tasting
Chemical Senses and Classification
Universal Flavor Factors
Gastronomy and Hotel Schools
Structure of This Book
Summary
Notes

Making Sense of Taste
Tasting: An Intricate Process
Tasting: What Happens in the Mouth?
The Gustatory System
The Olfactory System
The Trigeminal System
There is More than Meets the Mouth
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Components of Flavor
Are Professionals Able to Taste Better than Amateurs?
Summary
Notes

Understanding Flavor
Finding Words: Comparing Apples to Oranges
Words do Not Come Easily
Universal Flavor Factors
Building the Theoretical Model
Description of the Flavor Styles
How to Generate a Flavor Profile
The Role of the Basic Flavors
The Role of the Big Four Basic Food Molecules
Summary
Appendix: How Low-Fat Foods Get Their Texture
Notes

Flavor in the Kitchen
No Beast Is a Cook
Practice or Purpose?
Ingredients: Basic Qualities
The Essence of Cooking
Characteristics of the Principal Techniques
Other Techniques to Get or Keep Flavor
Making the Dish Complete: Sauces, Herbs and Spices
Vegetables, Fruits, and Mushrooms
Flavor Composition
Culinary Success Factors
Summary
Appendix : Influence of Preparation
Notes

The Flavor of Beverages
Aqueous Solutions
Mineral Water or Spring Water
Tea
Coffee
Beer
Wine
The Effects of Grapes and Grape Growing on the Flavor of Wine
The Effects of Vinification on the Flavor of Wine
After Vinification
Beer and Wine Comparison
Summary
Notes

Matching Foods and Beverages: The Fundamentals
Taste!
Old Guidelines
New Guidelines
Gustatory Effects in Matching Foods and Beverages
Mouthfeel Effects in Matching Foods and Beverages
Gastronomic Reflections
Summary
Notes

Food Appreciation and Liking
Introduction
Tasting and the Brain
Food Liking and Palatability
Flavor Styles Revisited
Is Food the Stimulus or the Response?
Where It All Comes Together: The Behavioral Model of Food Choice
Introducing: Guestronomy
Summary
Notes