Gastrophysics is a scientific discipline that makes use of a wide range of theoretical and experimental biophysical techniques to study cooking and gastronomy.
Gastrophysics investigates the components of food, commodities, the effects of processing, quantitative aspects of the physical basis for food quality, the taste of food, our sense of taste, the taste experience and the absorption in the human body.
However, there are no widely recognized definition and aim of gastrophysics, and gastrophysics as a scientific area is still emerging. In 2012, gastrophysical scientists met at the symposium The Emerging Science of Gastrophysics to achieve unity.
The symposium was followed by a special edition of the journal Flavour, in which the scientists presented their idea of the nature, use and relevance of this new scientific discipline.
Their articles are now available here in SMAG #04: The Emerging Science of Gastrophysics.
About the book
The book is edited by Professor Ole G. Mouritsen and Jens Risbo. It contains the collected series of articles that have been published from the symposium The Emerging Science of Gastrophysics i august 2012.
The book is in English and can be downloaded as a pdf.
Furthermore, the publication series SMAG has been printed in a limited stock. If you wish to obtain a copy, please email forlag [at] smagforlivet.dk.
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Mentioned in the article
Dr Ole G. Mouritsen is the head of centre in Taste for Life and head of the Gastrophysics focus area. He is a professor in Gastrophysics and Food Innovation at the Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen.
He is an expert in bio- and gastrophysics with a special focus on mediation of the natural sciences to the general population through knowledge about food and taste.