Summary

This document reviews gastronomy, covering its history (including the French Revolution and the emergence of haute cuisine), and contemporary approaches. It includes a discussion on the 10 defining characteristics of Nouvelle Cuisine. It also explores the physiology and cultural determinants related to taste and smell.

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MODULE 1: A Brief History of Gastronomy and the Restaurant (Global and Western Perspectives) and Dominant Styles of Cuisine 1) What is Gastronomy? gastro + nomy come from Greek and mean ‘stomach’ and ‘rules,’ or the rules pertaining to the stomach; or more broadly the rules (eating ha...

MODULE 1: A Brief History of Gastronomy and the Restaurant (Global and Western Perspectives) and Dominant Styles of Cuisine 1) What is Gastronomy? gastro + nomy come from Greek and mean ‘stomach’ and ‘rules,’ or the rules pertaining to the stomach; or more broadly the rules (eating habits and manners; the styles and modes of cooking) that are applied to everything that relates to the feeding of human beings. Marie-Antoine Carême 2) History of Gastronomy - Term was first used by French writer Berchoux in his poem then gained popularity in France during the 19th century after the French revolution when new bourgeois was created - Became a discussion as people slowly pointed out the finer points of cooking and dining - In the Western tradition, names like Athenaeus and Apicius are remembered for their understanding of good food, along with Bartolomeo de Sacchi di Piadena (known as Platina), who in 1450, published his ‘De honesta voluptate’ - gastronomic culture also took up the cause of professionalizing gastronomic practices (cooking and dining), which marks the beginning of the codification and establishment of classic French Haute cuisine- HIGH CUISINE - August Escoffier and Cesar Ritz- The French system of kitchen brigade management - fashions in food have changed, notably, in France itself, with the development of nouvelle cuisine during the 1970s and 80s Le Guide Culinaire 3) Contemporary Gastronomy - promoted hybrid creations and 'creolization,' whereby two distinct cuisines find new avenues to explore in the creation of dishes that borrow from two or more 'authentic cuisines.' - Creole has been used to define the Cajun cooking of the American south - Creolization is an inevitable part of a post-colonial global geography, whereby indigenous cultures are re-emerging from the period of colonial control to exercise an influence of the once dominant culture. - east - west fusion/ west-east fusion - Molecular gastronomy - Ethics implies understanding the political and social ramifications of ‘fine dining’ and of food provision in the widest possible context, and asks the moral questions about sustainability, health, social responsibility and welfare. 10 Characteristics of Nouvelle Cuisine 1) Rejection of excessive complication in cooking 2) Cooking time for fish were greatly reduced 3) Made with freshest ingredients 4) Large menus were abandoned 5) Strong marinades for meat and game to be used 6) Heavy sauces like bechamel or espagnole were replaced by seasonings 7) Regional dishes replaced cuisine classique 8) Paid close attention to dietary restrictions 9) Microwave 10) Chefs were extremely inventive Module 2: TASTE AND SMELL: PHYSIOLOGY AND CULTURAL DETERMINANTS Psycho social cultural variables Childhood, travel, family, social relationships, culture, mood and well being Organoleptic skill: sensory evaluation skills utilized in evaluation of all types of food and beverages in an analytical context 1) The Physical Senses - Sight, Hear, Smell, Taste , Touch - sensory evaluation skills, utilized in the evaluation of all types of food and beverages in an analytical context, using the senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and tactile or viscous perceptions’ - Sense experience is a very subjective thing. It depends as much on: the relative mood and well-being of the taster; as it does on, the inherent qualities of foods or drinks. 2) Sense of Taste - Tongue - Umami There are four types of taste bud: - Fungiform papillae - slightly mushroom shaped positioned at the tip of the tongue, as well as at the sides. - Filiform papillae - thin, long, ‘V’-shaped conical papillae, that do not contain taste buds but are the most numerous. - Foliate papillae - ridges and grooves towards the back part of the tongue and found on lateral margins. - Circumvallate papillae - there are only about 3-14 of these papillae in most people, and are arranged in a circular-shaped row just in front of the sulcus terminalis of the tongue. 3) Categories of Taste - Sweet - Registers the fastest because of organic compounds such as the presence of sugar, alcohol - Evokes warm and pleasant feelings - Sugar is the primary source of sweetness in food - influenced by the form it is in, whether it be crystallized or in a solution, its concentration, the age of the sugar solution, its temperature and the presence of other substances such as acids and salts. Artificial Sweeteners Artificial sweeteners are intensely sweet and are essentially non-caloric due to their indigestibility and low concentration in foods. For example: Cyclamates: 30 times sweeter than sucrose Sodium saccharine: 300 times sweeter than sucrose Ammonium saccharine (sucramine): 700 times sweeter than sucrose. - Salty - Salts are a flavour stimulant and are the most important flavour boosters used in cooking. - Sour - the perception of sourness is very quick, usually four to eight seconds depending on the acid level. - The pH scale (measured using a litmus test) pH less than 7 - Acid pH of 7 - Neutral pH from 7-14 - Alkaline ​ - Bitter - Bitterness takes the longest time to register on the tongue and traditionally was a warning sign of potential poisoning or toxicity. - Umami 4) Taste Altering Food - Peppermint provides a cooling sensation in the mouth because the menthol found in it dulls or anaesthetises the mouth’s heat receptors. Chilli dominates by virtue of the active ingredient capsaicin. Pepper, and other spices also alter flavors of foods to great effect. - Mouthfeel describes the textural viscosity: hard, soft, brittle, crumbly, crisp, crunchy, chewy, tender, tough, gummy, viscous, thin, thick, sticky, tacky, gooey, airy chalky, flaky, fibrous, grainy, granular, gritty, lumpy, pulpy, sandy, doughy, elastic, heavy, light, mushy, rubbery, slimy, slippery, smooth, spongy, soggy, flaccid, springy, juicy, fatty, greasy, and oily - Smell: taste is diminished up to 100% when smell is impaired., (anosmia) that refer to loss of smell (and taste) which can result from a shock or depression. 5) The Olfactory Receptor Cells - The olfactory receptor cells are highly sensitive but can only identify one particular chemical compound each. Factors Affecting Odor Identification due to Odor Compounds Chemical Composition: how complex the molecules are that form the odor and what shape they are. Volatility: How easily the chemical compounds are vaporized. Concentration: How diluted the chemical compounds are in whatever medium they are present. Temperature: Higher temperature makes odors more volatile. Solubility and Mobility: How mobile the chemical compounds are in mucous, the more soluble they are the more easily they pass through the olfactory There are up to seven types of differently shaped olfactory receptor cells, which are used to match the molecules, contained in each odor. The following odors form the seven main odor groups. Each compound is identified by molecules locking or binding to olfactory receptor cells of the same shape. Camphoraceous odor compounds (which are hemispherical shapes) Musky odor compounds (Which are flat disc shapes) Floral odor compounds (Which are keyhole shapes) Minty odor compounds (Which are wedge shaped) Ethereal (Ether) odor compounds (Which are small thin rod shaped). The following odors are identified by the molecules of chemical compounds binding with the olfactory receptors through electronic changes: Putrid carry a negative charge Pungent carry a positive charge The various chemical compounds are classified as either highly volatile or low in volatility depending on the *desorption of the chemical compounds into a gaseous state. Examples: Low Volatility High Volatility Alcohol Musk Fruits Cedar Peppermint Floral 6) Factors Affecting Odor Identification Due to the Individual Person Psychological Factors include: Past experiences Aversions due to whether the food was received favorably or unfavorably, Expectation, Culture, Geography and the availability and familiarity of different foods, Social factors such as trends and fashions in food. Physiological Factors include: Nasal infections (Cold and Flu, Hay-fever), Hormonal state due to menstruation, Menopause or pregnancy, Ageing and Gender Odor Profiles The odor of a pure substance can be evaluated in terms of: Qualitative characteristics: its similarity to other odor compounds. Quantitative characteristics: its intensity and our sensitivity to it. Assessing Flavor The process of analyzing flavor essentially comprises of three aspects: odor, taste and mouth-feel. Cultural Determinants of ‘Taste’ The cultural basis of taste preferences in the human infant is important in the development of a person’s later ‘taste’ in food and beverage MODULE 3: THE RANGE AND SCOPE OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE QUALITIES Basic Principles and Food Types 1. Raw Foods ○ Fish, meat, vegetables, fruits. ○ Fresh, Clean, Alive, Vibrant, Acidic, Tangy, Natural 2. Processed Foods ○ Chocolate, coffee, flour (milled, sifted), milk (pasteurized, homogenized): ○ Herbs, spices 3. Preserved Foods (includes pickles, chutneys and jams that use sugar as a preservative; salted, dried or dehydrated and smoked foods; bottled, heat-treated foods; foods cooked and stored in fat); fermented foods. ○ Prepared Foods (possibly containing components from other categories) Mayonnaise, cake mix, ice cream. ○ Food fermentation 4. Cooked foods ○ Foods that have been heated, thus radically changing the chemistry of taste. ○ Prepared food: mayonnaise, tinned soup, ice cream Steaming: reduced cooking time below 98C Broiling: healthy cooking method Roasting: allows large pieces of tender meat in the oven Frying: even browning and create a crisp outer Deep frying Braising: large pieces of meat, tender cooking method Stewing: pre cut meats Baking: pastry and baked goods Stir-frying: meat drippings used for deglazing Barbecuing (hibachi) Earth oven cooking (umu) Tandoor Brick oven. Key Motivations in Food and Wine Pairing 1) Increase customer satisfaction with overall dining experience 2) Increase opportunities for profitability Components: - Primary taste components - Corresponds to basic sense perception on the tongue - Basic tastes are foundation of the pleasant feeling due to complimentary or contrasting Complimentary - With shared characteristics - A pot of chili that is flat add a pinch of salt - Off dry riesling served with pork tenderloin Contrasting - Opposites attract and balance each other - Buttery salmon, squeeze lemon juice - Sauvignon blanc with raw oysters MODULE 4: TASTING AND CLASSIFYING BEVERAGES, WINES, AND FOODS Gustatory/Olfactory *Flavonoids Pungent - raw onion - freshly ground black pepper - kimchi (mixture of pungent, salted, fermented) Aromatics (low molecular weight, so easily become airborne, *odiferous.) – fragrant - freshly ground white pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla, lemon thyme Acidity (level of pH) - citrus juices, dry wines, vinegar, verjuice Astringency - dry red wines [tannins] Complexity - *Maillard reactions (caramelization). Umami - kelp, parmesan cheese, tomato juice, duck, shitake mushroom (Lake 2003). Floral - intoxicating, refreshing (orange blossom, rose petals) Fruity - fruits Herbaceous - herbs Toasted/Roasted/Smokey/Burnt - Maillard reaction. Roasted meat, beer, whiskey, coffee, oaked wine, toast Pheromonal - anchovies, oyster sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, blachan, aged cheeses (pecorino), champagne (aged), mature cabernet sauvignon, musk Foul/fecal - indole, a chemical that produces a slightly sweet smell is an important building block of taste: ○ blachan ○ Nuoc nam fish sauce Tactile/haptic - The sense of touch is related to both these terms. Terms (examples): ○ Slimy ○ Rough ○ Smooth ○ Grainy ○ Tough ○ Silky Touch is always implied when we taste, because taste requires physical contact with food in order to function. Density Shape Size Weight Body The textural component of the haptic sense of taste is affected by such things as sugar content (viscosity), moisture content (juiciness), and fat content (richness, smoothness, weightiness). Aural Sizzling Plopping Searing Terms related to ‘hearing’ food are important when assessing culinary technique Visual Colour, brightness, vibrancy, and the coordination of colours adds appeal to a dish Thermal This relates to the temperature of food. Key Elements 1) Components (lowest) 2) Texture (2nd) 3) Flavors (top of pyramid) The Keys to Understand Food and Wine Matching 1) Acidity - Ultimate contrast to an array of dishes - To cut a dish that is rich, salty, oily, fatty, mild or spicy - Wine that is less tart than dish will be thinned out - Acidic wines (young wine) are best wines to pour with tart food 2) Sweetness - Great counterbalance to moderate levels of spicy heat 3) Saltiness - Lessened by wine’s acidity - Salt perception is exaggerated by tannin - Alcohol is accentuated by salt - Salty dishes can be counterbalanced by off dry wine 4) Tannin - Serve bitter food with tannic wines - Steak and cabernet sauvignon - Tannin and fish oil usually arent happy together 5) Oak - Oaky flavors are exaggerated by food - Oaky wines need very specific food to show them their best - Chardonnay paired with dessert 6) Alcohol - Match wine and food of equal weight - Harder to pair alcohol that has higher alcohol content 3 Food Keys 1) Ingredients 2) Cooking Methods: low impact or high impact 3) Sauces and Condiments Module 5: MATCHING FOODS AND BEVERAGES Notes on Flavor - Flavors may not be the most important element during pairing decisions - They evoke memories Easier to pair wine and food with contrasting flavors General Menu Planning Suggestions 1) Who is the audience? 2) What is the purpose of the event? 3) Is there a theme? 4) What are the equipment, staff and location constraints? 5) How many guests will be there? 6) Are there special diet needs? 7) What is the “ebb and flow” of the menu? General Wine Sequencing Suggestions 1) Light bodied wine before medium bodied before full bodied wine 2) Dry wine before sweet wine 3) Lower alcohol wine before higher alcohol wine 4) Lower quality before higher quality 5) Low tannin wine before high tannin General Rules to Consider 1) Cold courses precede hot courses 2) Raw precedes cooked food 3) Fish generally precedes meat 4) Hord d’oeuvres including cured meat can precede fish 5) Soups tend to begin the meal Technical Consideration in Menu Construction 1) Variations in colors of food 2) Variation in textures 3) Continuity in the intensity of flavor 4) Avoiding repetition of ingredients in different dishes 5) Mixing hot and cold dishes 6) Variation in cooking processes 7) Planning a logical menu sequence 8) Consideration of accompanying beverages

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