Gastronomy

Etymologically, the word "gastronomy" is derived from Ancient Greek gastros

"stomach", and nomos "knowledge" or "law".

Gastronomy is the study of relationship between culture and food. It is often thought
erroneously that the term gastronomy refers exclusively to the art of cooking, but this is
only a small part of this discipline: it cannot always be said that a cook is also a gourmet.
Gastronomy studies various cultural components with food as central axis. Thus it is
related to the Fine Arts and Social Sciences, and even to the Natural Sciences in terms of
the nutritional system of the human body. Gastronomy is one of the world leading
professions and is on the rise.

The principle of gastronomy is that food is a science, in addition to an art form. By

understanding how all of the senses contribute to an experience, a gastronome can more
completely understand what is happening when a consumer claims to dislike or enjoy a
particular food item. Gastronomy also examines the sociological implications of food,
along with integrating other social science disciplines such as anthropology, psychology,
and philosophy. The role of food in the fine arts such as performance art, painting, and
sculpture is also examined, as part of a closer look at the role of food in society in
general.

At the foundation of gastronomy is, of course, food. A gastronome looks are how fresh
the food is, how it is prepared, which flavors are used, how it is presented, if the colors of
the food blend on the plate, and what the overall message of the food appears to be.
However, the gastronome also looks more deeply at the food, examining the cultural
influences which contributed to that particular plate of food, the science behind it, and the
history. The highly scientific study of food, sometimes called molecular gastronomy, also
plays a role. For example, a molecular gastronome can explain the physical and chemical
interactions which occur in a deep fryer, potentially leading to deep fried dishes which
are lighter and less oily, since the precise mechanism is understood, allowing pitfalls to
be avoided.

An apple pie is not simply just an apple pie to a gastronome, who looks at what type of
apple was used, the history and classic flavor profile of that apple, the flour used in the
crust, the origin of the shortening, the type of sugar or sweetener used for the pie, and the
blend of spices which lends the pie dimension and flavor. In addition, the overall
presentation of the pie is examined: a gastronome examines how the pie was made, how
it interplays with other offerings in the dessert course including wines, and how the pie is
presented, in addition to the nutritional science behind the pie which creates a specific
nutritional content and flavor profile.

Gastronomy certainly informs the culinary world, but not all cooks and chefs are
gastronomes. Many prefer to focus only on the culinary aspects of gastronomy, producing
food of a high quality and flavor, but not delving into the scientific and historical
implications of the foods that they serve. A chef who also studies gastronomy often
works much more with fusion cuisine, presenting daring flavor combinations and foods
made in unusual ways designed to defy convention and expectation. This cook can also
explain the basis of scientific interactions in the kitchen, along with outlining the history
of the foods used.