Learning there's more to food than just taste

Photo: Pixabay

An outdoor food market on the French Riviera.

This week, I was in a place called the City of Gastronomy and Wine.

My hubbie and I had an amazing time. It sounded like it’was right up my alley. The place isn’t really a city. Imagine more a (Vancouver’s) Science World kind of complex, focused on food and drink. It’s in Dijon, France, where we spent part of the week. We spent one afternoon exploring its exhibits, learning all about the history of French gastronomy and how we enjoy food from a scientific perspective.

The Oxford Dictionary defines gastronomy as “the practice or art of choosing, cooking and eating good food.” In France this is a passion. In 2010, UNESCO added “the gastronomic meal of the French” to its official Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The passion these people have for food and how it is shared at a table is truly a part of their culture.

Here are some history tidbits for you to chew on:

• Table manners, as we know them, weren’t much of a thing until the 1700s. Before that, guests often brought their own knife and simply turned the blade in as a peaceful gesture at the table.

• Restaurants first became popular as places for those of some nobility to restore their health. They went by the name “bouillon” for the broths they served. (A bouillon is now the term for an affordable neighbourhood restaurant)

How about a few ways to maximize the experience for guests at your next gathering?

• When cutting cheese, one must think of equal portions that include the outside and the centre if possible (the flavours are different) If it is a large wheel, then the wedge should be sliced through the middle just until a reasonably-sized piece can be cut from the edge.

• When setting the space, think of the sounds people will hear. Our senses of smell, taste and hearing are internally connected. Food in a noisy environment, like on a plane, tastes less intense. Music will affect taste too. Ballads accentuate sweet tastes and rock & roll brings out spicy flavours.

There were many more tidbits we learned at the exhibition, watch for them in future columns.

This passion for the details of enjoying a meal is why I fell in love with France when I came here as a university student studying French. I spent a year as a teaching assistant at a lycée (middle and high school) in Nancy. I quickly learned that immersion is the key to becoming fluent (as opposed to just knowing a language). I learned camaraderie happens most often around a table.

If I’d been more “together” when I came back, I would’ve opened a gourmand store—a place full of kitchen gadgets and ingredients that I grew to love but were unheard of in Canada 40 years ago.

Oh well, I have enjoyed taking my gourmand nature to heart at least.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.