Taste Surprising Stories and Science about Why Food Tastes Good

Whether it's a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup or a salted caramel coated in dark chocolate, you know when food tastes good. Now here's the amazing story behind whyyou love some foods and can't tolerate others. A seasoned food developer to whom food companies turn for help in creating delicious new products, Barb Stuckey reveals that much of what we think we know about taste is wrong. As Stuckey explains how our five senses work together to form "flavor perceptions," she tells fascinating stories about people who have lost the sense of smell or taste and the unexpected ways their experience of food changes as a result. You'll learn why kids (and some adults) turn up their noses at Brussels sprouts and broccoli, how salt makes grapefruit sweet, and why you drink your coffee black while your spouse loads it with cream and sugar. Stuckey also provides eye-opening experiments in which you can discover your individual "taster type" and learn why you react instinctively to certain foods, in particular why your response to bitterness is unique. You'll find ways to improve your ability to discern flavors, detect ingredients, and devise taste combinations in your own kitchen for delectable results. What Harold McGee did for the science of cooking Barb Stuckey does for the science of taste in Taste, a calorie-free way to get more pleasure from every bite.

Barb Stuckey is a professional food developer who leads the marketing, food trend tracking, and consumer research functions at Mattson, North America’s largest independent developer of new foods and beverages. She and her HyperTaster fiancé divide their time between San Francisco and Healdsburg, in Northern California’s wine country.