Magazine: Spice is in the brain

Neurogastronomy is a branch of science that is radically changing the way we think about food and its taste. Neurogastronomy examines how the human brain works and how people behave when eating and drinking – and it does so by combining science and gastronomy. The new discipline was created only a decade ago but today it already studies the biology of how we percept scents, how we percept taste and the biochemistry of preparing food.

Neurogastronomy is based on the results achieved by different professions: chefs, anthropologists, neuroscientists, biochemists,
agricultural and.

How we percept taste is the result of the work done by our five senses, with smelling as one of the key players in the process. Many new confectionery products made by Nestlé are available in shapes that are different than the usual. The reason behind this is simple: research commissioned by the company has found that round-shaped chocolate offer a more intense flavour experience in the mouth than angular ones – Nestlé calls this project the geometry of the mouth.

Scientists are experimenting with changing flavour profiles and with combining different flavours for Unilever. For instance the company managed to have the salt content of products reduced by 30 percent, without letting their taste suffer. By now neurogastronomy has become a billion-dollar industry and chefs have played an important role in this. Some restaurants, especially major chains consciously utilise in their work what they know about the effects of colours and music in enjoying food and drinks.

In addition to this, there are chefs who also concentrate on what is going on in the brain of guests – they are the representatives of the ‘fantasy food’ trend. One of the movements’ founders is Heston Blumenthal, the owner of Fat Duck, one of the best restaurants in the world. Here on the menu card we find dishes such as Sound of the Sea, a seafood dish which is served to guests with an MP3 player, so that they can really listen to the sounds of the sea while enjoying it. Tickets Bar in Barcelona is run by the famous Adirà brothers. The place is inspired by theatre and the circus: in this eclectic tapas bar olives ‘explode’ and the small trees used in serving the food turn out to be made from candy floss, so they can be eaten.