‘Weeds from the yard’: a seasonal salad

‘Weeds from the yard’ is a seasonal dish that has recently been introduced to the menu at Worton Kitchen Garden (WKG), an organic kitchen garden situated on the outskirts of Oxford. This spring offering was created by the chef to draw the attention of diners to some of the nutritious plants, herbs, and specifically weeds, that surround us but which few people currently consider as a legitimate source of nutrition. The dish, provocatively called ‘weeds’ rather than ‘herbs’, connects to the recent growth in the popularity of the foraging movement, as well as to the historical basis of food in Britain (and elsewhere) for the rural poor who would once have regularly foraged from the local hedgerows, woodlands, and fields. The eye appeal of the dish was enhanced by the addition of some colourful seasonal flowers. At the same time, however, it is important to recognize how tasty and aromatic many weeds are (i.e., over-and-above the sustainability angle). Taken together, the hope is that the gastrophysics approach can be used to help reintroduce the public to some of the nutritious plants that surround us via a tasty and visually-attractive dish composed primarily of what are commonly, though not uncontroversially, classed as weeds. Doing so will likely require some work to get consumers to think about weeds in a different way

On the manipulation, and meaning(s), of color in food: a historical perspective

While there has long been public concern over the use of artificial/synthetic food colors, it should be remembered that food and drink products (e.g., red wine) have been purposefully colored for millennia. This narrative historical review highlights a number of reasons that food and drink have been colored, including to capture the shopper's visual attention through to signaling the likely taste/flavor. Over the course of the last century, there has, on occasion, also been interest in the playful, or sometimes even deliberately discombobulating, use of food coloring by modernist chefs and others. The coloring (or absence of color) of food and drink can, though, sometimes also take on more of a symbolic meaning, and, in a few cases, specific food colors may acquire a signature, or branded (i.e., semantic) association. That said, with food color being associated with so many different potential "meanings," it is an open question as to which meaning the consumer will associate with any given instance of color in food, and what role context may play in their decision. Laboratory-based sensory science research may not necessarily successfully capture the full range of meanings that may be associated with food color in the mind of the consumer. Nevertheless, it seems likely that food color will continue to play an important role in dictating consumer behavior in the years to come, even though the visual appearance of food is increasingly being mediated via technological means, including virtual and augmented reality

Cinnamon: the historic spice, medicinal uses, and flavour chemistry

Cinnamon has long been a popular culinary (and medicinal) spice. Nowadays, in the West, it is predominantly found in sweet foods (e.g., desserts, traditional, and/or seasonal baked foods, such as cinnamon rolls, plum pudding, mince pies, and mulled wine), as well as in many cola beverages, perhaps explaining why it is widely considered to be a ‘sweet’ spice, despite having a slightly bitter taste. Historically, it was commonly used in savoury dishes as well. In the Middle East and India, the spice retains its association with savoury cuisine (e.g., in dishes such as curry and pilau, as well as meat tagines in Morocco). The four major commercially-viable species of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, C. cassia, C. burmannii, and C. loureiroi) have distinct flavour profiles, meaning that care should be taken when using this spice in the kitchen, especially given the naming confusion that exists between cinnamon and cassia. Although essential oil is extracted from many parts of the cinnamon tree, only the bark from the lateral shoots tends to be used in cuisine nowadays. Cinnamon is used as the quills (whole or broken parts), as the dried ground powder or, in the food industry, as the essential oil (i.e., as a flavouring agent). The scent of cinnamon also appears in various perfumes/fragrances as well as being a popular element in festive potpourri. There is currently growing interest in cinnamon’s potential neutraceutical, neuroprotective, and prebiotic properties

Cognitive influence on the evaluation of wine: the impact and assessment of price

Price is one of the most important product-extrinsic factors influencing the consumers’ response to, and presumably experience of, wine. This is ironic inasmuch as the research tends to highlight either no, or else even a slightly negative relationship between price and liking in typical consumers when they taste wines blind. Nevertheless, providing price information, especially when it is high leads to enhanced taste ratings, especially for low to mid-priced wines. Similarly, bottle and label information (that makes a wine look cheaper or more expensive) has also been shown to influence the evaluation of wine by regular consumers (i.e., non-experts). Indeed, product-extrinsic information often appears to outweigh the product-intrinsic sensory attributes of wine in people’s hedonic (in not necessarily in their sensory-discriminative) ratings. Such findings therefore highlight the importance of cognitive as compared to direct sensory cues in the evaluation of wine. This narrative historical review critically reviews and evaluates the published experimental literature that has examined the impact of price on wine ratings

Robots in gastronomy: psychological and financial considerations

Both the popular press as well as a number of academic researchers have enthusiastically endorsed the possibility/prediction that (service) robots will come to play an increasingly important role in the world of quick service restaurants and/or gastronomy in the years ahead. This development, or so it has been suggested, may potentially help to address the seemingly ubiquitous staffing issues that are proving problematic for many in the hospitality industry nowadays. However, until the costs of installing, running, and maintaining such high-tech devices fall, and until such time as consumer opinion changes, such technology (be it robots for food preparation or else service robots) is unlikely to find a place in the market for fast food never mind in the world of fine dining (gastronomy). While robot bartenders and chefs would currently appear to have a certain novelty and/or experiential value, the financial case for their incorporation into the hospitality setting has yet to be convincingly demonstrated, even once the technical challenges have been addressed. As such, there is little sign that such automation will make its way (either in the front or back of house) into the world of either quick-service restaurants or high-end gastronomic establishments

Are pineapples really delicious? The history of the pineapple's taste/flavour and the role of varietal and terroir

The pineapple has long been described as the most delicious of fruits. At the same time, however, the English philosopher John Locke once famously argued that it was impossible to describe the taste of this exotic fruit for those (including himself) who had not had the pleasure of sampling one. In recent years, flavour chemists have managed to identify many of the key volatiles giving rise to the distinctive taste/flavour/aroma of this member of the bromeliad family. However, taking a closer look at the history of this most exotic of fruits soon highlights how ‘deliciousness’ is very much a culturally and not merely a chemically-determined construct, contrary to what the molecular gastronomists would have us believe. However, beyond sociocultural factors, it should also be remembered how any given pineapple's flavour profile will likely be influenced by a wide array of factors, including those related to varietal, maturity, storage, etc. This makes any attempt to describe the taste/flavour, or to reconstruct the historical aroma/taste of a pineapple in Locke's day (i.e., in the closing decades of the 17th century), all the more challenging

The ghost train: a disappearing fairground entertainment

The Ghost Train on the fairground connects pre-mechanized ghost shows (such as the Phantasmagoria and Dr. Pepper’s Ghost type illusions) that had been popular in Britain in the latter half of the 19th century, with the increasingly mechanized rides that came to dominate the British fairground circuit during the 20th century. Intriguingly, although customers were moved along a track, the showmen themselves considered the Ghost Train to be a “show” (shocking the paying public by the unexpected multisensory stimulation of their eyes, ears, and skin), rather than a ride (the latter providing primarily proprioceptive pleasures and kinaesthetic thrills). The heyday of the Ghost Train on the fairground was during the middle decades of the 20th century. Nowadays, those interested in giving themselves a fright are more likely to seek their entertainment in a physically thrilling ride (such as a rollercoaster) or else at the cinema (a medium that also emerged out of the late 19th century ghost shows)

The king of spices: on pepper's pungent pleasure

Pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.), and its key pungent constituent piperine (an alkaloid), has long been one of the world's most popular spices. Interestingly, it is one of the only culinary spices (along with the mineral salt) that is to be found on/at the dining table around the world. Known as the ‘king of spices’, pepper possesses a number of beneficial anti-microbial and anti-carcinogenic properties, as well as a gustatory pungency that chefs and consumers in many countries have long found highly-desirable. Given that pepper is already found on many dining tables around the world, together with the fact that it delivers a pungent boost to the flavour of food (without any of the obvious negative health consequences, or adverse public perception, of other flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate or kokumi), it would appear to be ideally positioned as a healthy flavour enhancer, one that also allows the consumer to personalize their tasting experience. That said, the results of research where pepper has been added directly to a recipe, rather than the consumer adding it themselves, have not always given rise to a positive result, suggesting that the ability to add it oneself (i.e., to taste) may play an important part in the consumer's overall enjoyment of the flavour of this spice

Ginger: the pungent spice

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) has long been a popular ingredient in both medicinal and culinary settings. However, while ginger, and the related galangal, were once both popular ingredients in Britain (e.g., from roughly the 9th to the 17th centuries), they essentially disappeared from savoury culinary recipes thereafter, as spiced foods fell out of fashion (though the dried spice continued to be used in sweet baked products). However, the desirable pungency and flavour attributes of ginger, together with renewed interest in the spice’s medicinal properties, combined with the growing popularity of Asian cuisines that make extensive use of ginger (in savoury recipes), has resulted in a recent resurgence in sales of this once popular spice. From a culinary perspective, the volatiles in ginger help to lift the taste of the dishes to which they are added while the spice’s pungency may offer a means of substituting for some of the less healthy ingredients currently in our food

Lovage: a neglected culinary herb

Herbs and spices have undoubtedly fallen in and out of fashion over the centuries. The changing popularity of spices is perhaps easier to explain than that of herbs. After all, the former were often imported from the furthest corners of the globe, often at great expense, and hence were seen as a luxury item. Herbs, by contrast, were an ubiquitous feature of the (English) countryside, found in hedgerows, woods, and fields. Lovage (Levisticum officinale Koch.), which belongs to the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family, is a perennial plant that grows easily and has an umami-like taste and a celery-like flavour, thus leading to its name as the Maggi plant. Lovage also gives rise to a gentle mouth-tingling gustatory effect due to the presence of ligustilide, a volatile TRPA1 modulator. Charting the history of lovage's use in cooking, this narrative historical review will hopefully help to draw attention to a versatile and flavourful culinary herb that has largely been replaced in recipes by celery and/or parsley