Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

The Truth About Food: Yuck or Yummy? (2005x2)

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What is your favourite food? What are the things you wouldn't touch with a barge pole? Food may be fuel, but it's also something we really enjoy - unless it's one of those foods you can't stand. What is it about some food that makes it irresistible, while other food is a real turn off? In 'Yuck or yummy' we explore the sensory world of food. How do taste, appearance, texture, smell and even the name of the food affect our enjoyment? What goes on in the brain when we enjoy, or are revolted by particular foods? We ask whether or not we are programmed by our evolutionary past to like some foods more than others and how our own experiences early on might affect our preferences for life. One person's pleasure in food may be another's disgust. How do individual differences arise? We also enter the kitchen and explore the chemistry of cooking: for example what is it that happens to food when we grill it to make it so tasty? There are some real surprises in discovering how different flavours work together, and this can be used to create unexpected dishes for our enjoyment.