What is the role of quality in contemporary capitalism? How is a product as ordinary as a bag of tea judged for its quality? In her innovative study, Sarah Besky addresses these questions by going inside an Indian auction house where experts taste and appraise mass-market black tea, one of the world’s most recognized commodities. Pairing rich historical data with ethnographic research among agronomists, professional tea tasters and traders, and tea plantation workers, Besky shows how the meaning of quality has been subjected to nearly constant experimentation and debate throughout the history of the tea industry. Working across fields of political economy, science and technology studies, and sensory ethnography, Tasting Qualities argues for an approach to quality that sees it not as a final destination for economic, imperial, or post-imperial projects but as an opening for those projects.

Tasting and Smelling presents a comprehensive overview to research on these two important modes of perception. The book offers a review of research findings on the biophysics, neurophysiology, and psychophysicsof both senses, as well as discussing the emotional component associated with taste and smell, and clinical disorders affecting each of these two senses. Tasting and Smelling answers how odors and flavors are perceived, why we have favorites, and what happens when our senses go awry. This book is of interest to the researcher in perception, cognition, or neurophysiology.

From OIV-award-winning author, Ronald S. Jackson, Wine Tasting: A Professional Handbook, Third Edition, is an essential guide for any professional or serious connoisseur seeking to understand both the theory and practice of wine tasting. From techniques for assessing wine properties and quality, including physiological, psychological, and physicochemical sensory evaluation, to the latest information on the types of wine, the author guides the reader to a clear and applicable understanding of the wine tasting process. With its inclusion of illustrative data and testing technique descriptions, the book is ideal for both those who train tasters, those involved in designing wine tastings, and the connoisseur seeking to maximize their perception and appreciation of wine. - Contains revised and updated coverage, notably on the physiology and neurology of taste and odor perception - Includes expanded coverage of the statistical aspect of wine tasting (specific examples to show the process), qualitative wine tasting, wine language, the origins of wine quality, and food and wine combination - Provides a flow chart of wine tasting steps and production procedures - Presents practical details on wine storage and the problems that can occur both during and following bottle opening

The Aesthetics of Food sets out the continuing philosophical debate about the aesthetic nature of food. The debate begins with Plato’s claim that only objects of sight and hearing could be beautiful; consequently, food as something we smell and taste could not be beautiful. Plato’s sceptical position has been both supported and opposed in one form or another throughout the ages. This book demonstrates how the current debate has evolved and critically assesses that debate, showing how it has been influenced by the changing nature of critical theory and changes in art historical paradigms (Expressionism, Modernism, and Post-modernism), as well as by recent advances in neuroscience. It also traces changes in our understanding of the sensory experience of food and drink, from viewing taste as a simple single sense to current views on its complex multi-sensory nature. Particular attention is paid to recent philosophical discussion about wine: whether an interest in a wine reflects only a subjective or personal preference or whether one can make objective judgments about the quality and merit of a wine. Finally, the book explores how the debate has been informed by changes in the cooking, presenting, and consuming of food, for example by the appearance of the restaurant in the early nineteenth century as well as the rise of celebrity chefs.

The Taste of Water explores the increasing erasure of tastes from drinking water over the twentieth century. It asks how dramatic changes in municipal water treatment have altered consumers’ awareness of the environment their water comes from. Through examination of the development of sensory expertise in the United States and France over the twentieth century, this unique history uncovers the foundational role palatability has played in shaping Western water treatment processes. By focusing on the relationship between taste and the environment, Christy Spackman shows how efforts to erase unwanted tastes and smells have transformed water into a highly industrialized food product divorced from the natural environment. The Taste of Water invites readers to question their own assumptions about what water does and should naturally taste like while exposing them to the invisible—but substantial—sensory labor involved in creating tap water.

Gourmand Award for the No. 1 Best Wine Book in the World for Professionals Since the publication of Wine Production: Vine to Bottle (2005) and Wine Quality: Tasting and Selection (2009), there has been a great deal of change in the wine industry, and the perceptions of critics and expectations of consumers have shifted. Wine Production and Quality, Second Edition brings together its two predecessors in one updated and considerably expanded volume. This comprehensive guide explores the techniques of wine production in the vineyard and winery, and considers their impact upon the taste, style and quality of wine in the bottle. Part 1 of the book provides a structured yet easily readable understanding of wine production, from vine to bottle. The impact of natural factors, including climate and soil, is considered, together with the decisions made and work undertaken in the vineyard and winery. Part 2 looks at quality in wines: the concepts and techniques of tasting are detailed, along with the challenges in recognising and assessing quality. Also discussed are the steps producers may take, and the limitations they may face, in creating quality wines. The book will prove valuable to beverage industry professionals, wine trade students, wine merchants, sommeliers, restaurateurs , and wine lovers as well as those entering (or thinking of entering) the highly competitive world of wine production.

Essays illuminating the philosophical issues surrounding our love of wine.

In Wine & Philosophy, philosophers, wine critics, and winemakers share their passion for wine through well-crafted essays that explore wine’s deeper meaning, nature, and significance Joins Food & Philosophy and Beer & Philosophy in in the "Epicurean Trilogy Essays are organized thematically and written by philosophers, wine writers, and winemakers Chapters include, “The Art & Culture of Wine”; “Tasting & Talking about Wine”; “Wine & Its Critics”; “The Beauty of Wine”; “The Metaphysics of Wine”; and “The Politics & Economics of Wine” Accessible to a general audience while at the same time covering some serious philosophical ground Incorporates traditional areas of philosophical study, including philosophy of language, philosophy of perception, aesthetics, metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy A great complimentary text to any guided-tour visit to the Napa Valley or other wineries

The nature of olfaction; its importance for understanding perennial issues of philosophy of mind, perception, and consciousness; and its implications for cognitive neuroscience. What are smells? Despite the best efforts of philosophy and the chemosciences, the question remains vexing—but no more perplexing than the historical lapse of the past centuries to seriously consider a sense that has a key place in philosophy of mind and perception. Stinking Philosophy! is Benjamin Young’s answer to this critical lapse. Drawing together more than a decade's research on olfactory philosophy, the book offers a clear, comprehensive look at the nature of odors—how we perceive smells, how we cognitively represent odors, how we communicate about them as categories, and what they can tell us about consciousness. In Stinking Philosophy! Young presents a methodology for addressing the philosophical and conceptual issues raised by the sense of smell. Then, in an exacting and coherent fashion, he explores how the philosophy of smell contributes to—and advances—a wide range of debates within philosophy of mind, perception, and cognitive neuroscience. Ultimately, his work demonstrates how empirically informed philosophy can have a significant impact on interdisciplinary research on smell across philosophy, the chemosciences, and neuroscience.

Dairy Processing and Quality Assurance, Second Edition describes the processing and manufacturing stages of market milk and major dairy products, from the receipt of raw materials to the packaging of the products, including the quality assurance aspects. The book begins with an overview of the dairy industry, dairy production and consumption trends. Next are discussions related to chemical, physical and functional properties of milk; microbiological considerations involved in milk processing; regulatory compliance; transportation to processing plants; and the ingredients used in manufacture of dairy products. The main section of the book is dedicated to processing and production of fluid milk products; cultured milk including yogurt; butter and spreads; cheese; evaporated and condensed milk; dry milks; whey and whey products; ice cream and frozen desserts; chilled dairy desserts; nutrition and health; sensory evaluation; new product development strategies; packaging systems; non-thermal preservation technologies; safety and quality management systems; and dairy laboratory analytical techniques. This fully revised and updated edition highlights the developments which have taken place in the dairy industry since 2008. The book notably includes: New regulatory developments The latest market trends New processing developments, particularly with regard to yogurt and cheese products Functional aspects of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics A new chapter on the sensory evaluation of dairy products Intended for professionals in the dairy industry, Dairy Processing and Quality Assurance, Second Edition, will also appeal to researchers, educators and students of dairy science for its contemporary information and experience-based applications.