Neurogastronomy : The Science of Taste Perception

Imagine sitting down for a meal after a long day. You're craving delicious comfort food that can lift your spirits with one whiff lingering from the oven. You indulge in a meal that tastes wonderful and leaves you feeling satisfied. Except, instead of macaroni and cheese, you're eating boiled broccoli. And thanks to a new science, the broccoli-loather in you genuinely loves every single bite.

This new science, called neurogastronomy, merges the science and culinary worlds by studying the human brain and the behavior that influences how we experience eating and drinking. First conceived in 2006, the field has now evolved into its own area of learning that delves into the molecular biology of the olfactory receptors, the biochemistry of food preparation, and odor images and the brain flavor system. Essentially, neurogastronomy shakes up how we look at food and taste: Instead of investigating how researchers can alter the taste of food by re-engineering what we eat, this science concentrates on how we can re-wire the brain to perceive food differently. Translation: it's not about genetically modifying carrots to taste better; instead, it is about making our brains think carrots are delicious. But even that aforementioned instance is just one component in the broad and diverse academic specialty.

 Read the whole article by Susmita Baral : www.eater.com/2015/10/19/9553471/what-is-neurogastronomy