Sensory Science with Dr. Chris Simons
Pull the cork gently away until it seperates from the bottle. Listen - you know, the soft, ‘shiuffp’ from the lip as the cork rounds out, a sort of fully subdued, whispered ‘pop’. Sweep the impaled cork up and under your nose to check: the wood, a bitter trace of tannins, fruits, hay, fresly fallen leaves, the light bordeaux staining near the tip. Glance back at the familiar or new labelling and shape of the bottle, the vintage year, the heaviness of the glass, its color. Now pour it into the plastic cups, boring and thick-lipped, then take the tray outside to the picknick table - where a very quick-made wine already rests within elegant crystal Reidels. Ask the sommeliers and wine drinkers hanging out at the event to taste and comment on the wines….
This episode features a discussion of sensory science and how environment matters to how we perceive food and flavor. We are joined by Dr. Chris Simons of The Ohio State University's Department of Food Science and Technology. His research uses a multidisciplinary approach to understand the perception of foods and how they are processed to influence reward and behavior.
Chris has a B.S. degree in Biology from the University of Oregon, an M.S. degree in Physiology from Portland State University and a Ph.D. in Sensory Science from the University of California, Davis. Subsequently, he completed post-doctoral fellowships at the EPHE in Massy, France and the Dental School at the Universite Paris 6. From 2004 through 2012 Chris led the Sensory Research function at Givaudan Flavors Corp. then finally joined the faculty in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the Ohio State University in 2013.
While completing his post-doctoral fellowship in France, Chris had an epiphany about how environment can have an influence on how we perceive food - this has guided his research at OSU.
We discuss traditional techniques to testing flavor and contrast that with new more immersive techniques promoted by Chris in the sensory lab and the affect it has on these tests.
Environment can have a determinate influence on perception. We discuss that and more in this episode.
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Chris grew up in Oregon and is a fan of the Native American technique of cooking Salmon on planks over open fire.
Check out the recipe for Cedar Plank Salmon and video of Celilo Falls.
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