/ Reviews / The Epicurean Explorer
The science of a great meal
by Buzz Archer
on Friday, December 09, 2011 12:00 AM
Gastronomy, which is the intelligent knowledge of nourishment, extends across a wide variety of academic fields that you are likely familiar with: natural history, physics, chemistry, cookery, business and, surprisingly, psychology.
Keeping the psychological aspect in mind, your brain tends to process gastronomic information in unique ways, depending on various scenarios you encounter. For example, consider differences between the immediate pleasure and the academic study of a great meal. When you are in the presence of a well-prepared dish, it is probable you will recall four of your basic senses: sight, touch, taste and smell. However, it will likely be difficult to remember what was heard, whether it is your table’s discussion or the general din of the location you were at. Your surroundings relegate to the background as your pleasure receptors sharpen and you focus on the meal at hand. This is because we become primal when faced with a great meal. All higher thinking is temporarily thrown out the window. How can you explain the close ties between food and sex, the other great primal urge?
Conversely, the academic study of a good dish requires your brain to operate at a higher level of thinking. Thanks to science and human curiosity, we constantly improve our dining experience by exploring what makes a meal so effective in nourishing us. Consider the pork souvlaki at Greek Taverna, or the crème brulee at Brasserie La Fouchette. The smoky, succulent flavor imparted on the grilled pork and the caramelized crispy crust of the crème brulee occurs thanks to a chemical event closely analyzed by chemists around the world. This event is known as the Maillard Reaction, which is a complex series of reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars, usually at increased temperatures. Loiter around a bakery such as La Boulangerie long enough to see the workers pull fresh bread out of the oven. That warm, addictive aroma comes from the same chemical event.
For a quality-drinking example of the Maillard Reaction, check out the Boxing Cat Brewery 's craft-brews that includes roasted barley and note the nutty flavors. Next time you raise a pint at Boxing Cat, acknowledge brew-master Mike Jordan and then drink one for science.
