Amazon.com description: Product Description: Gastronomy encompasses both the art and science of food anc cooking, and is an essential part of any chef's culinary education. Introduction to Gastronomy covers essential issues in food science, including culinary chemistry, nutrition, food safety, the sensory properties of food and physiological perceptions of flavor, and menu research and development, and also touches on the cultural and societal aspects of cuisine and the role that food has played throughout history. With the most up-to-date, reliable information available from the experts at The Culinary Institute of America, Introduction to Gastronomy is an ideal reference for culinary students and aspiring chefs, food scientists, dieticians, and nutritionists.