Umami is a mysterious taste. Discovered by a Japanese chemist in 1908, it took Western scientists decades to confirm it is indeed a basic taste.
Category: Philosophy of Food and Wine
Eating: The Not So Simple Pleasure
The pleasures of food seem simple and easily accessible, a matter of mere sensation. But in my 3QD essay this month I argue that we
Why Taste is Important
The issue of what we eat or drink is often considered to be trivial, a personal matter that has no larger significance and is thus
Disputing Taste
“To each his own”. “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” Platitudes about disagreement over taste are a “dime a dozen”, as numerous as platitudes
Release Day!
It has finally arrived. My book American Foodie: Taste, Art and the Cultural Revolution goes on sale today. Americans no longer eat to live; we
Constant Craving
There is fascinating new research on pleasure that has a bearing on how we understand taste. Neuroscientist Dr. Kent Berridge has been arguing that the
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 