Pleasure and Neurogastronomy

What to know

Food for All the Senses What happens when the smell of freshly baked bread brings back a flood of memories? When the sight of a lemon makes our mouths water before we’ve even tasted it? Or when a meal lingers in our bodies as an experience? Drawing on both research and culinary practice, a physician and researcher in the field of the sense of smell Alexander Wieck Fjældstadfrom Aarhus University and chef Rasmus Bredahl A closer look at taste, smell, and neurogastronomy—and everything that happens in the brain when we eat. Because taste is much more than what is detected on the tongue It is shaped by smell, sight, sound, texture, memories, expectations, and the context in which we eat. Why does the same dish taste different depending on our mood, the company we’re in, and our surroundings? What happens when our sense of smell or taste changes or disappears? And how can knowledge about the brain be used to create meals that not only satisfy hunger but also spark curiosity, excitement, and enjoyment?