This post piggybacks on my post earlier in the week about the plight of French winemakers as well as the post A Glass Against the
Category: Contemporary Food Culture
The Tragedy of Umami: When Depth Becomes Default
Umami was once a revelation—an elegant discovery of a fifth taste that illuminated the subtle synergy of fermented soy, aged cheese, and slow-cooked broth. But
Flavors That Offend: The Aesthetic Function of Disgust
The culinary world thrives on pleasure and refinement. But some of the most revered dishes flirt deliberately with revulsion. From stinky tofu’s fetid allure to
The Aesthetic Politics of the Tasting Menu
When you accept a tasting menu at a fine‑dining institution, you are entering into a contract of taste, trust, and surrender. It is not merely
Food Writing and Messy Materiality
There is a particular incantatory tone that haunts much of contemporary food writing—a metaphysical streak dressed in lyrical finery. You know the type. It speaks
The Dilemma of Deliciousness: When Taste Outruns Meaning
There’s a peculiar kind of failure that befalls the gastronomic thinker—not a failure of taste, but of attention. It happens, perversely, in the presence of
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 