Maria Konnikova’s Altered Tastes discusses the emergence of neurogastronomy in society. Konnikova’s experience with neurogastronomy in Blumenthal’s three-starred Michelin restaurant opens her eyes to neurogastronomy’s relevance to the way one eats. The overarching principle of neurogastronomy revolves around flavour being the connections between the five senses. Although Blumenthal’s usage of neurogastronomy may seem mundane, neurogastronomy largely impacts the way humans eat. In fact, if one truly understands the importance of neurogastronomy to diet, a healthy diet will become more attainable. Food will no longer be meaningless numbers representing sodium and sugar. Instead, it will become an experience the body enjoys without the addition …show more content…
According to neurogastronomy, however, eating is more than an instinct. Often times humans tend to get caught up in only experiencing the taste of food rather than its flavour. Taste and flavour have two distinct meanings. According to Konnikova, “taste is an experience composed of only five elements: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami”(12). In contrast, flavour involves a combination of the five senses and provides a lasting impression (12). If individuals possess the ability to distinguish flavour from taste, society can become closer to understanding the relevance of neurogastronomy to the human diet. Neurogastronomy believes that if society prioritizes flavour over taste, “we will be able to circumvent the learned and innate preferences of our taste buds”(12). Our taste buds have evolved due to varying selection pressures and neurogastronomy aims to explain the resultant …show more content…
In the next decade, however, neurogastronomy may be used in the likes of large fast-food restaurant chains such as McDonalds. If neurogastronomy educates McDonald’s about the benefits of neurogastronomy to product management, chain-restaurants could potentially change forever. McDonalds has already begun to create a more formal environment in many of their restaurants by providing services directly to customers via waiters. Therefore, it does not seem far-fetched for McDonald’s to create a gourmet experience similar to Blumenthal’s, who provides a physiological and psychological experience with every dish. Along with appropriate music and scenery, McDonalds could create secluded spaces where customers would enjoy their meals. Although the popularity of a gourmet McDonald’s may increase slowly, in the long run, the restaurants will increase the sales of the company and individuals opt out of fast-food. In addition, gourmet does not mean more expensive; small amounts of food with precise amounts of seasoning will allow McDonalds to continue to make their large current profits. Additionally, McDonald’s can charge extra for customers who wish to experience gourmet dining. The benefits neurogastronomy gives to McDonalds and individuals will eventually lead to an increased interest in neurogastronomy and a healthier