It is often said “there is no accounting for taste”, and that idiom is about as truthful as it gets because everyone perceives food and drink differently. This course was first presented back in 2008 at Tales of the Cocktail and has been presented many times, around the world, because understanding how people taste can make us better food and drink professionals.
The three things a human needs to survive are food, water and shelter. Only food can repeatedly inspire a hedonistic response. Eating is one of the few daily tasks that use all of our senses. We taste with more than just our tongues, we smell the aromas with our nose, gaze upon the feast with our eyes and become audibly aware of the sounds associated with food preparation and chewing and discern textures of the food as we eat. This all-encompassing sensory perception of food is what makes it fascinating. It can also make it a roller coaster of responses. Great food is uplifting and emotionally satisfying; lousy food is depressing and leaves you wanting. Sometimes we crave foods with compelling intensity. This can be for a variety of reasons, but in reality, food is a human necessity, food is one of the pillars for the existence of life and without it, we would die.
If you are in the food and drink business or just want to get more joy out of eating then this course is for you. Understanding how we respond to food, especially in restaurants, can be insightful. It can elevate the dining experience.