A great new book that I picked up at Daunt last week is The Flavour Thesaurus, literally, an encyclopedia of tastes, textures and food combinations.
This book actually makes me very excited because it’s so much fun to learn new things page after page. And I do love a book you can open at a random spot and just… absorb.
The Thesaurus divides flavors into 16 categories (such as green & grassy, marine, creamy fruity, fresh fruity, roasted, cheesy etc.) that at first seem like an entirely arbitrary system worked out by Niki Segnit, the author. You may not always entirely agree with Segnit, but her system works and looks to be comprehensive, while each section dedicated to a main ingredient or flavor combination is chockfull of historical, nutritional and general foodie fun facts.
Take for example, watermelon, which is finishing up its run as ingredient of the month (though not in my heart!).
You find out quickly that Mark Twain called it ‘chief of this world’s luxuries’ (hell yes) and that the thump you hear in a ripe watermelon should strike a B-flat.
Watermelon & chilies make a fine pairing, and lots of Mexican candies use this combination. A Sicilian dish I must try consists of a spicy watermelon soup, thickened and sprinkled with pistachios. Actually, the book had plenty of ideas about a new – for me – combination of cinnamon and watermelon that I am curious to try.
The book’s bibliography is also a treasure trove. I will save that for another day though – must put temporary moratorium on new cookbooks!
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