Listening to Scent : An Olfactory Journey with Aromatic Plants and Their Extracts

How do we perceive flavour? How can understanding the senses help us to make better tasting meals?Wake up to creamy avocado with fragrant orange pepper seasoning and green Tabasco dressing, snack on sweet and citrusy carrot and lime leaf kebabs and curl up with a warming bowl of butternut squash and spinach curry. An alternative way of looking at food, Cooking for the Senses introduces neurogastronomy and explains how understanding smell, taste and our other senses can be the key to making tasty, healthy food in your own kitchen. The authors explain the science of flavour and provide guidance on how to train your palate and be more mindful in the kitchen. This cookbook will inspire you with a practical flavour guide to a wide range of plant ingredients, and over 100 delicious vegan recipes for everyone that reflect neurogastronomy in action.Seasoned with tales of the authors' own culinary experiences, this first book on neurogastronomy for the home cook is bursting with flavour. Listening to Scent: An Olfactory Journey withAromatic Plants and Their Extracts Acknowledgements Part I Listening to Scent 1 Why Cultivate Your Sense of Smell? 2 The Language of Scent 3 Our Olfactory System and its Connections 4 Olfactory Sensitivity and Perception 5 Discrimination 6 Olfactory Memory and the Reasoning Processes 7 The First Steps 8 How to Conduct Sensory Exercises 9 Odour Families, Types and Characteristics 10 The Next Steps: Identification and Discrimination 11 Creative Blending 12 In the Spirit of Koh-do 13 Reflections on the Olfactory Journey. Part II Olfactory Profiles14 Balsamic Family 15 Woody Family 16 Spicy Family 17 Coniferous Family 18 Herbaceous Family 19 Medicated Family 20 Green Family 21 Agrestic Family 22 Floral Family 23 Fruity Family 24 Citrus (Hesperidic) Family Part III An Experiential Programme of Study 25 Reset Your Nose with Scents in the Natural World 26 Stimulate Your Senses with an Olfactory Culinary Experience 27 Immerse Yourself in the World of Aromatic Plant Extracts Appendix 1: Odour Types and Characteristics Encountered in Aromatic Plant Extracts Appendix 2: Some Notes on Chemistry. Appendix 3: Building AccordsGlossary References Some Suppliers of Aromatic Materials Scent Index Subject Index Author Index Blank Page About the Author. The olfactory journey described in this book introduces readers to the pleasures and benefits of educating and training the 'nose', our olfactory palate. Jennifer Peace Rhind explores the process of cultivating our sense of smell and demonstrates how the process itself can be therapeutic and enjoyable, as well as informative. She highlights the different skills involved, from olfactory vocabulary, awareness, and memory, through to discrimination and fragrance creation, and the activities that can help to acquire them, emphasizing the value of experiential learning. She describes the Japanese art of koh-do or the 'way of incense' and suggests ways of creating group events inspired by this. Based on her twenty five years' experience working with essential oils and aromatic plant extracts, she also leads the reader through a variety of scent families, with information on the botanical source, odour profiles, olfactory notes, and suggestions for comparison with other scents. This method of educating and training the 'nose' is fascinating, challenging and life-enhancing and will be of interest to anyone eager to develop their sense of smell, and of incalculable use to aromatherapy students and practitioners who must acquire these skills for their career. "An invaluable book for anyone following a plant-based diet." Ching He Huang, TV Chef and cookery author The first vegan cookbook to merge the science of flavour with the art of cooking, Cooking for the Senses explains how understanding sight, smell, touch, taste and sound can help you make flavourful, healthy food in your own kitchen. With over 100 simple plant-based recipes, this cookbook shows how the rich variety of flavours available to the vegan chef can be combined to make delicious plates of food from exotic carrot and lime leaf kebabs to comforting butternut squash and spinach curry. An extensive flavour encyclopaedia, drawing on the latest research into flavour and world cuisine, and a helpful guide to the science behind our senses means the home cook will never be stuck for ideas on what to make with vegetables. Whether you are a committed vegan, looking to eat less meat and dairy, or want to enjoy tasty vegetarian meals this first book on neurogastronomy will transform your cooking. Listening to Scent: An Olfactory Journey withAromatic Plants and Their Extracts; Acknowledgements; Part I Listening to Scent; 1 Why Cultivate Your Sense of Smell?; 2 The Language of Scent; 3 Our Olfactory System and its Connections; 4 Olfactory Sensitivity and Perception; 5 Discrimination; 6 Olfactory Memory and the Reasoning Processes; 7 The First Steps; 8 How to Conduct Sensory Exercises; 9 Odour Families, Types and Characteristics; 10 The Next Steps: Identification and Discrimination; 11 Creative Blending; 12 In the Spirit of Koh-do; 13 Reflections on the Olfactory Journey.;This imaginative book offers aromatherapy students and practitioners, as well as anyone interested in developing their olfactory palate, a unique and enjoyable way of acquiring and developing essential skills, such as olfactory vocabulary, awareness and discrimination. It also includes scent profiles for expanded practice. An alternative way of looking at food, Cooking for the Senses explains how understanding the senses can be the key to making tasty, healthy food in your own kitchen. With over 100 vegan recipes and a practical flavor guide, this book on neurogastronomy for the home cook is bursting with flavor Presenting a new way of looking at food and flavour, this recipe book explains how the palate works and explores the senses to help you maximise flavour in your kitchen. Beautifully packaged, this first book on neurogastronomy for the home cook includes over 100 vegan recipes for everyone.