Teaching TasteThe Most Fundamental Skill for the

Successful ChefChef Christopher Koetke

Vice PresidentKendall College School of Culinary Arts

Vice President, Laureate International UniversitiesCenter for Culinary Excellence

chris.koetke@kendall.edu

My Taste Teaching Journey• As a chef:

– Expert in the kitchen– Problem solver– Got students to perform well

per my instructions– Great teacher?

But what is the highest goal of education?

Critical thinking, problem solving, empowered, self critical/QA

Do Our Students Taste?

• How we train our children– Johnny– Jean

• And voila—what should we expect?

The Role of Taste• Interpretation of food as:

– Safe to eat– Nutritional needs– Define who you are– Delicious to eat--pleasure

• Quality control

Tasting is differentthan eating!!

I don’t want to eat it. I don’t care… and the orchestra

Taste 101: Visual• Precursor to the chemical /physical appreciation

– Is it safe to eat?– Do I want to eat it?

• Consider color, height, shape

– Color and shape ex.• Open kitchens• Action stations• Tableside service

Taste 101: Visual• Deceiving the customer for fun

– All that is new is really old– Enter molecular gastronomy

• The caution of over emphasizing appearance• Colored water and Champagne in brown bags• White and little shape exersize

Taste 101: Hearing

• Can you really hear food?• Bubbles• Crunch• Sizzle• Kitchen sounds

Taste 101: Olfaction

• First chemical interpretation of food– Is it safe to eat?– Do I want to eat it?

• Two pathways– Nasal– Retronasal

• Alert system

Taste 101: Olfactory “Taste”

• 20,000 aromas• Many levels of intensity• Some very small• Complexity• Memory• Nostril differences • Social training• Thermal role

Taste 101: Taste• Final Chemical Analysis of food• 5 tastes: sweet, salt, acid,

bitter, umami• The tongue map—taste buds

in the mouth• Super tasters: 25% population

(2/3 women)• Importance of finish

Why Do We Have Tastes?

Where do we learn these?

History of Umami

So, why don’t I recognize umami like other tastes if it is so essential? Could it be

social training?

Rome

Thailand

What is Umami?

• Start with definitions—protein 101– Glutamic acid = amino acid (protein)– Free glutamic acid/glutamate = one which is not

bound to anything else– Umami = taste sensation derived from free glutamic

acid bound to a salt, most notably (and deliciously) sodium

– Found in a wide variety of foods and MSG

Where Are Glutamates?• Ripening• Maturation• Curing• Cooking• Adding glutamate

or glutamate-rich stock

• 1958 US FDA—Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)

• 1987 Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of UN Food and Agriculture Association confirmed MSG is safe

• 1991 European’s Commission’s Scientific Committee for Food decided unnecessary to set Acceptable Daily Intake level (ADI)

• 1995 US FDA Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) confirmed safety as food ingredient

Is MSG Safe?The body makes no distinction

Taste 101: Texture

• Mouth “feel”• Thermal

– Bubbles– Soup (hot/cold)

• Particulate• Slimy, fatty, sticky, etc.• Spicy/aggressive

Taste 101: Other factors

• History and associations• Social groups• Religion• Individual perceptions/history• Individual biological differences• The story• Opinions of others/marketing

Teaching Taste

• Assessing our assumptions– Assume the students can’t

recognize taste– Assume they have no taste library– Assume that they have no words for

taste– Learn about our own taste,

preferences, and preconceived ideas

Teaching Taste

• Objective:– Build skills– Build tasting library– Build vocabulary (not with a list)– Build an impulse to taste– Build a control

Teaching Taste• The basics:

– Ask lots of questions, prod and struggle– Assign words and categorize them– Make students write down words– Have fun! Disarm them– Make sure everyone contributes

Teaching Taste• Organized tastings:

– Up and down tasting and perfection– Redefine a familiar definition/experience– Comparative tastings (start very diverse)– Single tastings (start with familiar, build on library

experiences)

Teaching Taste

• Non-organized tastings:– Reinforce tastings through curriculum– Take every chance to build library– Do not give answers!– Use the individual experience to teach the group– Use extremes (what is acid? Maillard reaction)– Use comparative tastings—i.e. the sauce– Balance

Teaching Taste

• TAAT:– Taste– Analyze– Adjust– Taste

T A AT

So, is taste the most important kitchen skill after sanitation?

Now, Let’s Taste

• What is crunchy• Chocolate comparative tasting• Honey and sugar• What is chewy• Potato chips

THANK YOU

Teaching TasteThe Most Fundamental Skill for the Successful Chef

Chef Christopher Koetke CEC CCE HAAC chris.koetke@kendall.edu