Food and drink appreciation

Question

This piglix contains articles or sub-piglix about Food and drink appreciation

Answer 1

Eating London Tours

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Wikipedia

Answer 2

Gourmet

Gourmet (US: /ɡɔːrˈmeɪ/, UK: /ˈɡɔːmeɪ/) is a cultural ideal associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterised by refined, even elaborate preparations and presentations of aesthetically balanced meals of several contrasting, often quite rich courses. The term and its associated practices are usually used positively to describe people of refined taste and passion.

The term gourmet can refer to a person with refined or discriminating taste who is knowledgeable in the craft and art of food and food preparation.Gourmand carries additional connotations of one who simply enjoys food in great quantities. An epicure is similar to a gourmet, but the word may sometimes carry overtones of excessive refinement. A gourmet chef is a chef of particularly high caliber of cooking talent and skill.

Gourmet may describe a class of restaurant, cuisine, meal or ingredient of high quality, of special presentation, or high sophistication. In the United States, a 1980s gourmet food movement evolved from a long-term division between elitist (or "gourmet") tastes and a populist aversion to fancy foods. Gourmet is an industry classification for high-quality premium foods in the United States. In the 2000s, there has been an accelerating increase in the American gourmet market, due in part to rising income, globalization of taste, and health and nutrition concerns. Individual food and beverage categories, such as coffee, are often divided between a standard and a "gourmet" sub-market.

Certain events such as wine tastings cater to people who consider themselves gourmets and foodies. Television programs (such as those on the Food Network) and publications such as Gourmet magazine often serve gourmets with food columns and features. Gourmet tourism is a niche industry catering to people who travel to food or wine tastings, restaurants, or food and wine production regions for leisure.

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Wikipedia

Answer 3

Lucullus Circle

The Lucullus Circle was a US society based in New York City. It was inaugurated on 11 December 1951 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel by Claude Philippe. He created the group as "he felt the city needed a simon-pure, amateur gourmet society". At the black-tie dinners, he functioned as "a cross between a benevolent dictator and a kindly father". The society was known for its wine stock and for its elaborate dinners, initially only for men, but later including the Ladies Dinner. For $250 per year, a member could attend five lavish dinners, and these dinners were attended by some of the wealthiest and most notable men in the world.

The Lucullus Circle dinners brought about a "new golden age of gastronomy", attracting some of the wealthiest businessmen in the world at the time to feast on some "six to eight food courses and two wines with each course". The third dinner occurred on 10 March 1952 in honor of the Iranian ambassador. At one dinner guests dined on gold dishes with gold knives and forks, while at another, the room was adorned with objets d'art from important collections. Members came from the arts, business, politics as well as other professions. Many of the members resided at the Waldorf Towers. "Lucullans" were characterized as the "most sensitive and cultivated palates in New York, a sometimes questionable center of civilization and sophistication". Numbering approximately 50 gentlemen at a time, the dinner attendees were prohibited from conversing about business, politics, and religion. After the first year, the Lucullus Circle lost only two members, one who died and the other who resigned due to his health.

By 1972, however the dinners had begun to lose their appeal. New York Magazine noted that the dinners were still appreciated for their "enormous stocks of wine". but that it no longer seemed to "have the appeal of the other groups". They nonetheless continued. After Philippe's death, his wife, Helga, took over planning the gentlemen's dinners, as well as coordinating the wines and greeting the attendees; she was the only woman present at these events.

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Wikipedia

Answer 4

The Roman Food Tour

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Wikipedia

Answer 5

Sake Sommelier Association

Sake Sommelier Association

The Sake Sommelier Association (SSA) is an independent non profit organisation formed to develop the understanding, education, and appreciation of Japanese sake. Created by sommelier Xavier Chapelou and sake expert Kumiko Ohta in 2006 in London, it is the first organization in the United Kingdom to offer sake education outside Japan, and provides Sake Sommelier certification in a number of countries worldwide, particularly across Europe and Asia.

The association's objective is to strive to develop global education and awareness of sake to increase opportunities for students to learn the cultural history of sake, and to advance the success of sake demand and consumption on a global scale. The association offers sake courses for professionals in the drinks industry, as well as for those who are just interested in learning more about Japanese sake.

The course is aimed at those wishing to become qualified to work with sake in a professional capacity, or to teach others about sake. Course material focuses on understanding the culture behind the drink, knowledge of sake manufacturing methods, history of how sake developed in Japan, and learning to distinguish the different types and categories of sake by smell and taste.

The Sake Sommelier Association currently offers three courses:

The course is formed of two parts: Module 1: the Introductory Sake Sommelier - which covers the basics; similar to the Introductory course but in greater detail, and Module 2: the Certified Sake Sommelier - which covers the wider aspects of the sake industry. The Certified Sake Sommelier is an entry-level qualification in sake, taught and recognized by the SSA and after successful completion of the course, participants become qualified Sake Sommelier with the SSA, and are given a "Certified Sommelier" lapel pin bearing the SSA logo.

The sake education courses offered through the Sake Sommelier Association are provided world-wide, including Italy, Austria, Singapore, Hong Kong, Netherlands, France, Spain, China and Norway.

The association has founded and organised the London Sake Challenge, an annual sake competition held in Harrods. The first competition was held on 20 August 2012.

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Wikipedia

Answer 6

Specialty foods

Specialty foods are foods that are typically considered as "unique and high-value food items made in small quantities from high-quality ingredients". Consumers typically pay higher prices for specialty foods, and may perceive them as having various benefits compared to non-specialty foods. Compared to staple foods, specialty foods may have higher prices due to more expensive ingredients and labor. Some food stores specialize in or predominantly purvey specialty foods. Several organizations exist that promote specialty foods and its purveyors.

The term "specialty foods" does not have a standard definition. Food processors, regulators and consumers may be confused by the term due to its potential ambiguity.

Foods that have been described as specialty foods include:

Bean-to-bar chocolate, used here to prepare hot chocolate

Foie gras being sliced

Mostarda di Cremona

Stinky tofu

A black Périgord truffle

Some specialty foods may be ethnic specialties.

Foods that have been described as specialty foods as per not precisely corresponding into other food categories include:

Frozen bee pollen, a human food supplement

Kimchi

Various olives

In China, specialty foods have been described as having "important roles in the food culture..." Some Chinese recipes may be footnoted with a statement that ingredients may only be available in specialty food stores and Chinese markets.

In the United States, specialty foods and their purveyors are regulated by both federal and state agencies.

The Specialty Food Association's annual "State of the Specialty Food Industry 2014" report stated that in 2013 in the U.S., specialty foods and beverages sales totaled $88.3 billion, accounted for an increase of 18.4% since 2011, and was a record high for the fourth consecutive year. The report also stated that around 80% of specialty food sales occur at the retail level, and that seven out of ten specialty food retailers reported that the word "local" had the most importance as a product claim.

As of March 2015 in the United States, the number of bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturers (companies that process cocoa beans into a product in-house, rather than melting chocolate from another manufacturer) had increased to at least 60. The Fine Chocolate Industry Association stated that this represented "a tenfold increase in the past decade that's outpacing growth in Europe".

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Wikipedia

Answer 7

Traveling Spoon

Traveling Spoon

Traveling Spoon is a San Francisco, California-based food tourism startup company that connects travelers with local hosts who prepare homemade local cuisine in their homes. Travelers can also purchase cooking classes and visit marketplaces for cooking ingredients with their hosts. The company offers home dining packages in 38 cities in 15 countries located throughout South and Southeast Asia and Japan.

Traveling Spoon was founded by Stephanie Lawrence and Aashi Vel and its beta site launched in July 2013. The bootstrapped company is a graduate of the Venture Lab Program at the University of California, Berkeley's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology. The Venture Lab program also awarded the company $12,000 in prize money.

Stephanie Lawrence and Aashi Vel founded Traveling Spoon shortly after they met in 2011 at the Haas School of Business, where they were students in the school's Master of Business Administration program. The two connected over a similar desire to eat indigenous cuisine prepared by locals and learn about native cultures they encountered when traveling abroad. Traveling Spoon started a pilot program in December 2011 and had its first customers in January 2012. The company launched its beta website in July 2013. In May 2014, Traveling Spoon raised funding from Erik Blachford, the former CEO of Expedia and The Chennai Angels. In 2015, Traveling Spoon launched programs in the Philippines and India, which includes 12 cities within the country.

Traveling Spoon offers homemade meals from 200 local hosts in 18 countries. Traveling Spoon has hosts in Mexico, South and Southeast Asia and Japan, including Turkey, China, Vietnam, India and the Philippines. Aside from in-home meals, Traveling Spoon also offers cooking experiences and local market tours.

Traveling Spoon pairs a traveler's food restrictions and preferences, group size and budget with a host. When a traveler registers, they are able to specify dietary restrictions including vegetarian and vegan. In the case a host is unable to meet dietary restrictions, Traveling Spoon ensures meals are tailored to the traveler's profile.

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Wikipedia

Answer 8

Wine and food matching

Wine and food matching is the process of pairing food dishes with wine to enhance the dining experience. In many cultures, wine has had a long history of being a staple at the dinner table and in some ways both the winemaking and culinary traditions of a region will have evolved together over the years. Rather than following a set of rules, local cuisines were paired simply with local wines. The modern "art" of food pairings is a relatively recent phenomenon, fostering an industry of books and media with guidelines for pairings of particular foods and wine. In the restaurant industry, sommeliers are often present to make food pairing recommendations for the guest. The main concept behind pairings is that certain elements (such as texture and flavor) in both food and wine interact with each other, and thus finding the right combination of these elements will make the entire dining experience more enjoyable. However, taste and enjoyment are very subjective and what may be a "textbook perfect" pairing for one taster could be less enjoyable to another.

While there are many books, magazines and websites with detailed guidelines on how to pair food and wine, most food and wine experts believe that the most basic element of food and wine pairing is understanding the balance between the "weight" of the food and the weight (or body) of the wine. Heavy, robust wines like Cabernet Sauvignon can overwhelm a light, delicate dish like a quiche, while light-bodied wines like Pinot Grigio would be similarly overwhelmed by a hearty stew. Beyond weight, flavors and textures can either be contrasted or complemented. From there a food and wine pairing can also take into consideration the sugar, acid, alcohol and tannins of the wine and how they can be accentuated or minimized when paired with certain types of food.

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Wikipedia