THE GENEROUS TABLE: 19TH AUSTRALIAN GASTRONOMY SYMPOSIUM, NEWCASTLE, 2013 French cuisine by Galvin La Chapelle Spitalfields, London A line up of Australian gastronomy academics featured among the myriad of award-winning local restaurants showcased to share their views on food. Josh Evans of the Nordic Food Lab, founded by Rene Redzepi of Noma, Denmark shared the lab’s newly created, complex umami-rich Nordic Fish sauce out of former waste products. Registration was opened for chefs and creative thinkers from the industry, scientists and farmers/producers willing to discuss and share knowledge with a view to improving the benefit of Australian gastronomy. Sessions included: Microbial Terroir If microbes are unique to specific areas and if these can be captured, identified and utilised in a specific region’s fermentations then could these, in turn, be utilised to create cuisines that are increasingly ‘true to region’ with flavours that are unique to an area? Flavour Wheels This workshop will provide insight into the sensory function and complexities of food flavour, as well as provide a practical understanding of how to apply ‘flavour wheels’ when describing food. Dr Heather Smyth will provide in-detail flavour information about a range of exciting ingredients and products from Australian native food and seafood industries. Psychology of Taste Can research into consumer behaviour be utilised to increase customer satisfaction? Do consumers eat for sensory pleasure or nutritional intake? How are food preferences determined? Umami What is umami? What does it taste like? What is MSG? If umami is described as the taste of deliciousness then how do you incorporate this into your menus and alleviate consumers’ fears?