How to Taste

You love to eat. But do you know how to taste? Now award-winning expert certified food and beverage taster and lifestyle journalist Mandy Naglich gives you a seat at the table beside the best of the best in the fascinating world of tasting—and reveals how to hone your tasting superpowers like a pro. This instant classic is both a sumptuous behind-the-scenes tour and a fun, appetizing, and informative how-to that covers everything from wine and cheese to ice cream and honey, tea, chocolate, and even water, to the science within your taste buds. Whether it’s a meaningful meal or a favorite nostalgic road trip snack, we know what we like to eat. But even when it comes to the most vivid and memorable dishes it’s tough to say what exactly makes them so delicious.Now award-winning expert certified food and beverage taster and lifestyle journalist Mandy Naglich reveals how to hone your tasting superpowers like a pro. Take a seat beside highly-trained cheese analysts, world-class sommeliers, competitive whiskey tasters, internationally recognized chefs, and sensory scientists as experts divulge the secrets to discerning the notes in a range of ingredients, from a dab of honey to a spoonful of olive oil—and even a sip of mineral water. Discover why a James Beard award-winner was visibly nervous before a blindfolded taste test on Top Chef Masters, and how coffee farmers base growing practices on the palate of one world-renowned authority. Learn why your taste buds respond to variables such as food temperature and background music. What the flavor distinction is between a pomme fruit and a stone fruit, how to judge the acidity of anything, from a cup of tea to a square of dark chocolate—and how understanding flavor can impact the way you understand the world. A rich journey for the flavor-obsessed, this instant classic is both a practical guide and a sumptuous meditation on how to savor all things delicious—on the plate and in life. Mandy Naglich is a food and beverage journalist, beer educator, Advanced Cicerone, AROXA Certified Taster, WSET Spirits, Certified Cider Professional, and National Homebrew Competition Gold Medalist. She chronicles her adventrues in the world of beer on her popular blog beerswithmandy.com and on Instagram @beerswithmandy. When she’s not traveling the world to follow a story or try a new restaurant, Mandy lives, writes, and brews in New York City with her husband, Wes, and their dog, Chewy.