7–9 Apr 2011
Europe/Stockholm timezone

Flavor network and the principles of food pairing

7 Apr 2011, 14:50
30m
FD5

FD5

Speaker

Dr Yong-Yeol Ahn (Northeastern University)

Description

Animals, especially omnivores, feed selectively to fulfill energy needs and nutrient requirements, guided by chemical cues perceived as flavors. Among animals, humans exhibit the most diverse array of culinary practice. The diversity raises the question whether there are any general patterns of ingredient combination that transcend individual tastes and cuisines. We introduce a flavor network that captures the chemical similarity between culinary ingredients. Together with recipe datasets of various cuisines, the flavor network shows that Western cuisines have a tendency to use ingredient pairs that share many flavor compounds, supporting the food pairing hypothesis used in molecular gastronomy. By contrast, East Asian cuisines tend to avoid compound sharing ingredients.

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