The debate continues: does ketchup belong on a hot dog? A Chicagoan consults Danielle Reed, a taste geneticist, to get science to settle the score. However, according to Steven Parnes, an ENT-otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor), our taste preferences may change as we age. Continue reading
A production facility in Aurora, Colorado is producing a powder which binds to the taste receptors on your tongue and blocks bitter flavors. The product could have a health impact on the United State’s sugar-addicted society. This powder, interestingly enough, is made from mushrooms. Also in mycology news, a variety of button mushrooms have been engineered … Continue reading
Interacting with food is an incredibly sensual experience. One might imagine the smell of an oven roast, or picture an oozing chocolate lava cake, maybe even hear the crunch of a stale baguette. But what happens when you lose your sense of smell and taste to go along with it? Anosmia is a disorder where … Continue reading
Sea salt caramels. Hawaiian pizza. Chocolate-covered pretzels. Salt-and-chili covered mangos. Aside from being delicious snacks, what else do these delectable combinations have in common? They are all quintessential examples of the “sweet and salty” food craze that only continues to rise in popularity in the culinary world as well as the population at large. When … Continue reading
Flavor may have had an driving role in human evolution. In that same cup, just the flavor of beer may be required to make you feel happy, no alcohol required. Continue reading
At our 2014 public lecture How We Taste, Chef Wylie Dufresne, Dr. Dana Small, and Peter Meehan explored the tantalizingly complex concept of flavor. The evening was full of scientific discovery, childhood memories, and culinary innovation. In honor of this enlightening event, here are 5 things you might not know about our sense of taste: Continue reading
Attendees of our Science of Pie event this past spring probably remember sampling gymnemic acid. For anyone who has never tried the bizarre substance, we describe here our first experience with it. Guest speaker Dave Arnold (Founder of the Museum of Food and Drink, and host of the radio show Cooking Issues), supplied everyone in … Continue reading
How We Taste Featuring Dr. Dana Small, Chef Wylie Dufresne, & Peter Meehan May 14, 2014 As part of our 2014 public lecture series, we explored the concept of taste from the perspectives of a scientist, a chef, and a food writer. Dr. Dana Small described how our brains respond to flavors. Chef Wylie Dufresne … Continue reading
Think of any task and chances are someone is developing a new mobile electronic device for it. Technologies exist that pay for your coffee, track your UV light exposure, and even drive your car, but can one also simulate flavor? With that question in mind, scientists led by Nimesha Ranasinghe at the National University of … Continue reading
Sweet and spicy, cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known to humans; it is also a favorite topping or secret ingredient in both sweet and savory recipes. This warm spice is obtained from the dried inner bark of several species of trees within the Cinnamomum genus. True cinnamon however, sometimes known as Ceylon cinnamon, … Continue reading
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