Leading neuroscientist Gordon M. Shepherd embarks on a paradigm-shifting
trip through the "human brain flavor system," laying the foundations for
a new scientific field: neurogastronomy. Challenging the belief that the
sense of smell diminished during human evolution, Shepherd argues that
this sense, which constitutes the main component of flavor, is far more
powerful and essential than previously believed.
Shepherd begins Neurogastronomy with the mechanics of smell,
particularly the way it stimulates the nose from the back of the mouth.
As we eat, the brain conceptualizes smells as spatial patterns, and from
these and the other senses it constructs the perception of flavor.
Shepherd then considers the impact of the flavor system on contemporary
social, behavioral, and medical issues. He analyzes flavor's engagement
with the brain regions that control emotion, food preferences, and
cravings, and he even devotes a section to food's role in drug addiction
and, building on Marcel Proust's iconic tale of the madeleine, its
ability to evoke deep memories.
Shepherd connects his research to trends in nutrition, dieting, and
obesity, especially the challenges that many face in eating healthily.
He concludes with human perceptions of smell and flavor and their
relationship to the neural basis of consciousness. Everyone from casual
diners and ardent foodies to wine critics, chefs, scholars, and
researchers will delight in Shepherd's fascinating,
scientific-gastronomic adventures.
