Synopses & Reviews
Of the five senses, it is perhaps taste that is the most deeply complex and rewarding. When aromatic flavors come together in perfect harmony, creating something greater than a simple mix of ingredients, we transcend the mundane and utilitarian act of eating and drinking to experience new and wonderful sensations.
Through centuries of trial and error, sommeliers and chefs have mastered the art of combining ingredients and pairing foods and wines to surprise and delight the palate, but few have seriously studied the science that makes these flavor harmonies possible. Without the mysterious and seemingly magical relationships between molecules and taste budsand between molecules and other moleculesthe flavors we love might be profoundly different. In Taste Buds and Molecules, master sommelier-researcher-cook François Chartier explores the science of flavor to discover revolutionary new ideas and experiences.
As evidenced by the dishes he created in the legendary elBulli kitchen with Ferran Adrià and Juli Soler, Chartier exuberates in the unexpected and unexplained ways tastes and ingredients interact. Why do certain flavors form perfect harmonies? Why do thyme and lamb or rosemary and Riesling complement each other so well? Chartier reveals the answers here, helping you follow your own path to new flavor combinations and open new avenues to experimentation and delectation.
Beyond these fascinating and practical insights on food, flavors, and wine, Chartier also includes recipes and ideas that explore these flavor concepts, as well as illustrations, photos, and sketches that bring together the art of flavor and the science that underpins it. This is neither a simple guide to food and wine pairing nor a scientific textbook, but a body of knowledge designed to set the table for your own creative culinary endeavors, to further refine your tastes, and to take your cooking to new and extraordinary heights.
Review
"Anyone who cares about wine-and-food matching must study this book. It’s ingenious.”— Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator
“Young, passionate, and a rare talent, Chartier is among the two or three most articulate and intellectual thinkers I have met. His breakthrough book has been translated from his native French, and is finally available in English. TASTE BUDS and MOLECULES is not your average wine book... Chartier essentially does what Ferran Adrià at elBulli did with food... deconstruct[s] it and challenge[s] his readers to open their minds and consider the possibilities of a journey through aromas, flavors, textures and the fascinating yin and yang of it all. This is a magical mystery tour through the human sense of taste and smell... highly recommended.”— Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
"If Catalan superchef Ferran Adria is the leading missionary of molecular gastronomy, Mr. Chartier is his counterpart with a corkscrew."—The Globe and Mail
"The first step into a new world that is now open wide in all its splendour to those who love gastronomy."—Juli Soler and Ferran Adria, elBulli restaurant
“If there were a Nobel Prize for gastronomy, François Chartier would be a deserving recipient… This book will give both the neophyte cook and the most experienced chef the confidence necessary to transgress culinary traditions and forge new paths by trying out wine and food pairings that seem unlikely at first glance.”—Martin Loignon, PhD, molecular biologist, Montreal
"François Chartier is on the cutting edge of flavor exploration. If you're in the industry and you don't know his name yet, you will, and you likely won't forget it. An acclaimed sommelier, cook, flavor detective, and best-selling author, Chartier has instigated the new aromatic discipline 'molecular food harmonies and sommellerie.' And he's sharing it all, one incredible, palate-opening, mind-blowing explanation at a time."—StarChefs
"I’m reading a new book, Tastebuds and Molecules: The Art and Science of Food, Wine, and Flavor by François Chartier, an extraordinary high-wire wine-and-food pairing equivalent of molecular gastronomy. Not surprisingly, the book is endorsed by Ferran Adrià and Juli Soler of El Bulli, with whom Mr. Chartier, a French-Canadian wine and food writer, worked closely for several seasons at their restaurant. Without offering too much detail, Tastebuds and Molecules goes astoundingly deep into the science of flavors, offering advanced techniques for matching foods and wines."— Eric Asimov, the New York Times
"The most powerful, and even empowering, elements of the book are the charts that link a main flavor with all of the culinary components and wines with which it shares a common molecular makeup. Taste Buds and Molecules is a must-have for oenophiles-turned-cook or cooks looking to pair wines with more confidence."—Drink Me magazine
"The most powerful, and even empowering, elements of the book are the charts that link a main flavor with all of the culinary components and wines with which it shares a common molecular makeup. Taste Buds and Molecules is a must-have for oenophiles-turned-cook or cooks looking to pair wines with more confidence." —Drink Me magazine
Synopsis
"If Catalan superchef Ferran Adria is the leading missionary of molecular gastronomy, Mr. Chartier is his counterpart with a corkscrew."—Globe and Mail This award-winning book, now available for the first time in English in the U.S., presents a cutting-edge approach to food and wine pairing. Sommelier Francois Chartier has spent the better part of two decades collaborating with top scientists and chefs to map out the aromatic molecules that give foods and wines their flavor. Armed with the results of his extensive research, Chartier has been able to identify why certain foods and wines work well together at a molecular level. In this book, he has gathered his findings into a simple set of principles that explain how to create ideal harmonies in food and wine pairings. This new approach to the art and science of food and wine pairing will be an invaluable resource for sommeliers, chefs, and wine enthusiasts, as well as a fascinating read for anyone who is interested in the principles of modernist or "molecular" cuisine. The Canadian edition of Taste Buds and Molecules was a 2011 IACP Award nominee, and the original French-language edition, Papilles et Molecules, was named the Best Cookbook in the World in the category of Innovation at the 2010 Paris World Cookbook Awards, and also won the 2010 Gourmand Award for Canada for Best Design. The book includes a foreword by Juli Soler and Ferran Adria of El Bulli, who worked closely with Chartier in planning the menus at their renowned restaurant.
Synopsis
Taste Buds and Molecules
Winner, Best Cookbook in the World in the category of Innovation, 2009 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
"The first stepinto a new world thatis now open wide in all its splendor to those who love gastronomy." Juli Solerand Ferran Adrià, elBulli restaurant
"If there were a Nobel Prize for gastronomy, François Chartier would be a deserving recipient. It took a large measure of genius, creativity, and audacity to [establish the relationship] between aromatic molecules in foods and wines."Martin Loignon, PhD in molecular biology
"François Chartier went beyond mere pondering and into some serious research. He might just have the keys to creating great wine and food matches more consistently." Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator
"An essential work for all those who lovewine and the pleasures of the table in general."Dr. Richard Béliveau, author of Cooking with Foods That Fight Cancer
About the Author
François Chartier is the author of the popular French-language annual wine and food guide La Sélection Chartier, now in its sixteenth edition, as well as the bestselling
Table of Contents
Foreword by Juli Soler and Ferran Adrià, elBulli restaurant 8Foreword by Dr. Richard Béliveau 11
Acknowledgments 12
Author Introduction 14
Introductory Chapters
The Culinary Revolution 19
Unleashed by the principles of food harmony and molecular sommellerie
Food Harmony and Molecular Sommellerie 23
The genes of a new harmonious science balancing cuisine, wine, and wine and food pairings
elBulli 29
A trip into the universe of the “Best Restaurant in the World”
Aromas and Flavors 35
The fundamental importance of aromas in identifying and appreciating the taste of foods, wines, and beverages
Chapters on Food and Wine Pairing
Mint and Sauvignon Blanc 43
An open door into the world of anise-flavored foods and wines
Sotolon 57
The molecular chain linking vin jaune, curry, maples syrup, Sauernes, etc.
Fino and Oloroso 65
A veil of aromas with sherry wines
Oak and Barrels 77
Oak: The maestro of aromas and flavor enhancement
Beef 87
From the stockyard to the oven
Gewürztraminer/Ginger/Lychee/Scheurebe 95
Molecular family history
Pineapple and Strawberries 105
A strange overlapping destiny
Cloves 111
The spice of the barrel
Rosemary 121
A Southerner … with an Alsatian profile!
Saffron 131
The Queen of Spices
Ginger 141
A seducer with a great power of attraction
Maple Syrup 149
The aromatic sap stamped with a Quebec identity
Quebecois and Classic European Cheeses 159
Tracking down their aromas
Cinnamon 169
A hot and sensual spice
Capsaicin 177
The "fiery" molecule in chili peppers
A Taste of Cold 187
Apples and other foods with refreshing flavors
Experiments in Food Harmony and Molecular Sommellerie 197
A molecular tasting meal with two master chefs
Mini Glossary 211
Bibliography 212