Mapping the Flavor Genome With Beth Altringer

Beth Altringer first became fascinated in flavor when she joined a competitive wine tasting organization when she was going to graduate school at The University of Cambridge. While it had nothing to do with her field of study (product design and innovation), the very idea one could break down the characteristics of wine and its flavor into highly descriptive and well understood categories was a revelation to Altringer, so much so she eventually began to think about whether it was possible to apply this systematic and analytical approach to flavor to almost any type of food. It was from there that the Flavor Genome Project was born, an initiative that "explores how components of flavor combine to create delightful multi-sensory, chemical, emotional, and cultural experiences."  The goal of the project is to eventually create an "automated understanding of what people are intuitively searching for in a food or drink experience, regardless of the language they use to search for it, intelligently understanding flavor goals in context, and, ultimately, making it easier for people to discover experiences they are likely to enjoy." The Flavor Genome Project is intended to be a platform that could be a foundation for other products, and the first of those product is a mobile game called Chef's League.  The iOS game allows players to compete to master the usage of different flavor characteristics such as "salt, sweetness, acidity, fat, spice, and more."   You can find out more about the Flavor Genome Project and the Chef's League at www.flavorgenomeproject.com.