Mouthfeel : how texture makes taste /
Mouth feel
Ole G. Mouritsen and Klavs Styrbęk ; translated and adapted by Mariela Johansen.
- New York : Columbia University Press, (c)2017.
- 1 online resource (xiv, 353 pages) : illustrations
- Arts and traditions of the table : perspectives on culinary history .
Includes bibliographies and index.
The Complex Universe of Taste and Flavor -- What Makes Up Our Food? -- The Physical Properties of Food: Form, Structure, and Texture -- Texture and Mouthfeel -- Playing Around with Mouthfeel -- Making Further Inroads into the Universe of Texture -- Why Do We Like the Food That We Do? -- Epilogue: Mouthfeel and a Taste for Life -- Recipes.
Why is chocolate melting on the tongue such a decadent sensation? Why do we love crunching on bacon? Why is fizz-less soda such a disappointment to drink, and why is flat beer so unappealing to the palate? Our sense of taste produces physical and emotional reactions that cannot be explained by chemical components alone. Eating triggers our imagination, draws on our powers of recall, and activates our critical judgment, creating a unique impression in our mouths and our minds. How exactly does this alchemy work, and what are the larger cultural and environmental implications? Collaborating in the laboratory and the kitchen, Ole G. Mouritsen and Klavs Styrbęk investigate the multiple ways in which food texture influences taste. Combining scientific analysis with creative intuition and a sophisticated knowledge of food preparation, they write a one-of-a-kind book for food lovers and food science scholars. By mapping the mechanics of mouthfeel, Mouritsen and Styrbęk advance a greater awareness of its link to our culinary preferences. Gaining insight into the textural properties of raw vegetables, puffed rice, bouillon, or ice cream can help us make healthier and more sustainable food choices. Through mouthfeel, we can recreate the physical feelings of foods we love with other ingredients or learn to latch onto smarter food options. Mastering texture also leads to more adventurous gastronomic experiments in the kitchen, allowing us to reach even greater heights of taste sensation.