Book Reviews

Professor Charles Spence Amuse Bouche Foreword: Heston Blumenthal 1 Taste 2 Smell 2017 Viking, Penguin 3 Sight Paperback £14.99 4 Sound ISBN 978 0 241 27009 7 5 Touch 6 The Atmospheric Meal 7 Social Dining 8 Airline Food 9 The Meal Remembered 10 The Personalized Meal 11 The Experimental Meal 12 Digital Dining 13 Back to the Futurists

GASTROPHYSICS: The New Science of Eating

Dr Tony Curtis

As with many student Chemists at for innovative and science based me Gastophysics is a like experience. university, I was rather bemused by novel eating experiences at the Existing knowledge is given new thermodynamics. That was until I read acclaimed The Fat Duck restaurant. perspectives, signposting the pathway the quotation starting the chapter on it I am not certain if my favourite book to new gastronomic adventures. in my Physical Chemistry textbook: The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Some potential readers may be ‘Science [thermodynamics] Through Science (J. Kenji López-Alt) intimidated by the title ‘Gastrophysics’. owes more to the steam engine has improved my cooking but it has It does feel a bit like thermodynamics than the steam engine to certainly upgraded my understanding (i.e. difficult and different). Be not afraid science.’ of what I am doing or possibly doing Marketers. You are actually on sound Lawrence Joseph Henderson wrong. Better understanding has and familiar ground. On page xxv of However, the knowledge definitely increased my appreciation Amuse Bouche we are into Philip Kotler and understanding of and enjoyment of dining. and the difference between the total thermodynamics does give you In some ways there is nothing product and the tangible product. the capability to build better new in this book. Great chefs and The difference between a great meal steam engines! restaurateurs have known for millennia and lesser offering is not measured One might paraphrase this, in the that food does not speak for itself, in the number of calories. Marketers context of Gastrophysics’ as there is more to a great dining should read on without fear. The book ‘Food Science owes more experience. This wonderful book is an is in some ways an exposition of the to chefs [fine dining] than artful fusion of past knowledge and classical augmented service extended the chefs to Food Science.’ novel investigation. I am reminded, marketing mix (7Ps) in the context of However, the knowledge and after all I am a Chemist, that 2019 eating. understanding of Food Science was the year of the Periodic Table. For a number of years at the & Gastrophysics yields the The imaginative leap was based on University I worked in the department capability to create better existing knowledge but with new of Marketing & Hospitality dining experiences! insight. This invigorated insight led to Management. Their flagship course Heston Blumenthal (author of the new research (e.g. the pursuit of new was Cruise Management (sorry I could foreword to this book). Is renowned missing elements) and knowledge. For not resist!). The quality of a once in a

20 ICATSNews Spring 2020 lifetime experience on a luxury round Charles Spence then states the world cruise cannot be measured ‘Gastrophysics offers a constructive by the number of sea miles travelled. framework in which to look for Some years ago, I was faced with solutions to the growing problems the need, in an introductory marketing associate with solo dining’. The textbook, to explain the complexity same basic concepts can be applied of the wide-ranging service extended to social group dining. The impish marketing mix. I used a restaurant creativity of the author is illustrated case study to do this. One element of by the section on Tapas-ization; the service extended marketing mix charcuterie boards, tapas and mezze is people, one sub-element of this is plates. Nibbles are to share and boost other people [e.g. other customers]. the conversation. I was often bemused by student If all this appears to be too good perception this was a new concept. to be true Charles does not run away In the context of eating it was nicely from the ultimate challenge in eating summarised a millennia ago experience: airline food. The impact ‘To eat without a friend is to of low humidity and air recirculated devour like the lion at reduced pressure is not ideal for or the wolf. the inspirational dining experience. We should look for someone Offerings such as coq au vin, beef to eat and drink with before bourguignon and veal in cream sauce looking for something to eat do not dry out when re-heated on the and drink.’ flight. Epicurus How does the Author pull off this This book tells us why this and conjuring trick of producing a good much more yields a better dining read with immense detail to back-up experience. I illustrate with just a few the theme? The answer is some 148 examples from this outstanding book. pages of meticulous notes at the end Chapters 1 to 5 take us through the of the book. The reader can drink-in senses, just as a Marketing textbook the flow of the discussion and then will take us through the 7Ps. This is retrace the steps to adsorb the detail. done with humour and perception. The book in effect can be read at two The next question is how do you put levels. You can use the zoom lens of this together? Chapter 6 takes us on the notes to amplify detail at will rather the way. Ansoff matrix aficionados will than be encumbered with them when love the music – wine matrix: French unwanted. background music 77% selection of I recommend this book to all who French wine (23% German) – German prepare or consume food, well that is background music 73% selection everyone. Professionals such as chefs, German wine (27% French). To pursue food technologists and flavourists the music theme, a great meal will find it invaluable, as will a host of experience is like an orchestral piece. other specialists such as marketers, Each instrument plays it part in a restaurateurs and hoteliers. It should harmonious memorable experience. be on the recommended reading list The art of the restaurateur / host / of all Hospitality Management and chef is to orchestrate and then deliver Tourism courses. At my favourite this experience. Different music gives Italian restaurant, the main dish is diverse experiences. produced with a flourish and ‘Enjoy!’. Chapter 7 takes this theme further Do enjoy this outstanding book. with Social Dining with the contrast of solo dining and social dining, Epicurus is rediscovered: ‘[A] good meal tastes better if we eat in the company of friends.’ American Psychologist Harry Harlow

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