Have you ever asked questions regarding what we eat? From making food tastier to healthier, it is covered by the field of 'gastronomy'. In this lesson, we will talk about some basic aspects of the subject of gastronomy.
Gastronomy is the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine.
For as long as there has been food, there has been gastronomy in some form or another. However, it wasn't until the 1800s that gastronomy started to develop as an actual field of study.
The term 'gastronomy' includes cooking techniques, nutritional facts, food science, and palatability plus applications of taste and smells as human ingestion of foodstuffs goes. The term 'gastronomy' appeared for the first time in 1801 in a poem titled "Gastronomie' by Joseph Berchoux.
There is a deep relationship between food and culture. Have you ever wondered why people from different parts of the world eat different types of food? People connect to their cultural or ethnic group through similar food patterns.
It includes cooking techniques, nutritional facts, food science, and palatability plus applications of taste and smells as human ingestion of foodstuffs goes. It studies the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, a style of cooking of a particular region, and the science of good eating.
In the older days, people would simply learn how to make food to survive. Slowly, they began to focus on how dining could be an experience. They began to understand how their senses interact in order to create a whole meal to be enjoyed. Later on, cuisine became more niche to specific tastes, occasions, regions, and moods; cookbooks and apprenticeships also began to develop to provide instruction on food preparation.
With gastronomy, the preparation of food began to consider the sensory qualities as well as the nutritional focus. Since the publication of the book, The Physiology of Taste by Brillat-Savarin, the derivate 'gourmet' has come into use. 'Gourmet' is a cultural ideal associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterized by refined, even elaborate preparations and presentations of aesthetically balanced meals of several contrasting, often quite rich courses. According to Brillat-Savarin, "Gastronomy is the knowledge and understanding of all that relates to man as he eats. Its purpose is to ensure the conservation of men, using the best food possible."
Gastronomy covers a broad, interdisciplinary ground. One such branch of gastronomy is 'molecular gastronomy.'
What is molecular gastronomy?
It is a branch of food science that applies biological and chemical knowledge to cooking. Molecular gastronomy focuses on the physical and chemical processes that arise when cooking. It explores and manipulates the cooking processes and interactions to create flavorful and artistic results. The techniques of molecular gastronomy are usually applied by restaurants or experimented with at home.
Molecular gastronomy is important because it bridges the social, artistic, and technical ramifications of food and food preparation. By studying the science behind different culinary processes or commonly used methods, chefs and scientists can understand why certain outcomes occur. In this way, they are better able to reproduce favored effects.
Gastronomy is important for tourism.
Recently, there is an increasing emphasis on experiences and attractions related to food. Food tourism, an example of culinary tourism, is defined as "visits to food producers, food festivals, restaurants, and specific locations to taste a special type of food, to watch the food being produced or to eat food cooked by a famous chef. This is the main reason for the trip. Alternatively, it is termed food tourism or culinary tourism.
It is quite popular. Tourists are motivated to experience gastronomy just like they visit museums, enjoy music, and admire the architecture of a destination. In this sense, gastronomy has strong potential to bring more tourists to a destination, promote cultures and contribute to other sectors such as agriculture and food manufacturing. It also helps to create economic opportunities.
