Japanese Researchers Tap Chemical Composition To Give Flavor Ratings to Food
It’s been said there’s no accounting for taste, but if Japanese researchers have their way, there soon will be. Research initiatives underway in various corners of Japanese agriculture will remove taste from the subjective realm and create objective standards for flavor that consumers can use as a yardstick--without ever having tasted a product at all. The overarching goal is to increase the added value of certain food products by offering proof not only of a food’s origin, but of its actual superior flavor. For instance, in Nagano Prefecture, a designation has emerged for “Shinshu premium beef.” The kuroga-wagyu cattle that produce Shinshu premium are the same that produce other Wagyu beef, but the Shinshu premium is held to a higher standard of flavor and texture. Previously, producers and restaurants had no way of quantifying (and charging more for) the superior nature of these cuts of wagyu....