Keith Abela

October 20, 2024

Basics in Understanding Flavour: Compounds & Chemicals

For the finale of this three-part series we are going to have a look at arguably the most important part in understanding the “equation of flavour”; compounds and chemicals that give food our flavour, we will also be looking at useful applications surrounding this knowledge.
July 9, 2024

Basics in Understanding Flavour: Smell & Flavour

The sense of smell contributes to around 70% of what flavour is, making it probably the most important sense of all. But what’s the difference between aroma and flavour, and why, on occasion do we find them so different.
April 12, 2024

Basics in Understanding Flavour: Taste & Non-Volatiles

​Flavour and how we perceive it is a vastly complex subject, one that encapsulates all the senses in one way or another. We covered touch only a few issues ago, when we discussed the importance of the somatosensory system on how we perceive flavour through touch.
January 20, 2024

Food Science: Single Celled Fungi & Fungal Protists

In the last couple of issues we dove into the wonders of both macro and micro fungi and their fascinating diversity in the kitchen. From the finesse of truffles to the floral funk of miso, these fungi have shaped, and are still shaping international cuisine as a whole.
November 15, 2023

Touch. The Neglected Sense.

​As Chefs, cooks and foodies we all know the importance of the senses while we are eating. Taste, what we sense on the tongue indicates the presence of non-volatile compounds such as salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami; the nasal receptors in our nose catch volatile compounds, those distinctive notes that give an ingredient its flavour.
August 3, 2023

Food Science: Micro Fungi aka Mould

I love discussing mould, it creates emotions of fear and disgust in the minds of many, that sense you get when you buy fresh berries, throw them in the fridge and the next day they’re ready to be thrown away, and rightfully so!
April 13, 2023

Food Science: Mushrooms

Mushrooms and fungi have been roaming the earth for millennia, transforming everything around us.