Sunday 26 January 2020

245. Taste: Surprising Stories and Science about why Food Tastes Good by Barb Stuckey

BOOK REVIEW: Taste - Surprising Stories and Science about why Food Tastes Good by Barb Stuckey

I'm passionate about food, always have been and always will be. I always space out from the rest of the world while eating, analyzing flavour profiles and diagnosing tastes. The mere enjoyment of food is sufficient to set me into a frenzy. So what's all this hype about taste and what does it actually encompass? This book will enlighten you and guide yo into the light of cuisine.

Whether it's a salted caramel or pizza topped with tomatoes and cheese, you know when food tastes good. Now, the author, a seasoned food developer to whom food companies turn for help in creating delicious new products, reveals the amazing story behind why you love some foods and not others.

Through fascinating stories, you'll learn how our 5 senses work together to form flavour perception and how the experience of food changes for people who have lost their sense of smell or taste. You'll learn why kids (and some adults) turn up their noses at Brussels sprouts, how salt makes grapefruit sweet, and why you drink your coffee black while your spouse loads it with cream and sugar.

Eye-opening experiments allow you to discover your unique "taster type" and to learn why you react instinctively to certain foods. You'll improve your ability to discern flavours and devise taste combinations in your own kitchen for delectable results. This book even provides suggestions on calorie-free ways to get more pleasure from every bite.

After reading this book, I stumbled upon a revelation to bring out full flavours of food not by dousing it in salt, but to add a dash of sugar, a squirt of umami-rich fish sauce or a sprinkle of fiery but stimulating chilli powder. Wonderfully scientific in an understandable way, the fun write-ups throughout the book is an enjoyable way to get closer to what's on your plate.

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