Flavourology
‘What is it?’ you ask. Is it a science or an art? Well actually, it’s sort of both. It’s the delicious area where science meets art, and the Einstein behind the Sensations range is Eapen George.
As our chief flavourologist, it’s Eapen’s mission to make Sensations crisps into much more than a snack. He wants each crisp to take you on a ‘flavour journey’, a sensory experience which leaves you with a new and improved perception of taste appreciation.
The thinking behind the flavourology process is based on linking flavours to emotions through the engagement of the senses. During those valuable milliseconds it takes to register, an ingredient can access a feeling, an aspiration or a memory. The warm aroma of roasted chicken may remind you of your mum’s kitchen, or the tingling aftertaste of chilli might arouse your far-eastern wanderlust. A flavour you can taste will never resonate as much as one you can feel.
So how do our flavourologists map out a ‘flavour journey’? They work off the principle that our sense of taste is stimulated by contrast and change. When creating the complex flavours of the Sensations range, they drew parallels from other intricate taste combinations. Ever noticed the palate-cleansing properties of mint sauce when served with lamb? Or when grapes accompany cheese? How about those initial buttery, milky qualities in a glass of Chardonnay, which then give way to hints of minerals, with an oaky finish? By carefully sequencing ingredients, the flavourologists realised that crisps could provide just as delicate and varied flavour combinations as a white wine. As long as the person tasting the crisp took a moment to appreciate what their tastebuds were experiencing. Because it’s often not what you eat, but how you eat it that lets flavour unfold.