The economist explains us synaesthesia and shows us how ‘using the word “note” to describe an odour may be more than just metaphor’ !

THAT some people make weird associations between the senses has been acknowledged for over a century. The condition has even been given a name: synaesthesia. Odd as it may seem to those not so gifted, synaesthetes insist that spoken sounds and the symbols which represent them give rise to specific colours or that individual musical notes have their own hues.

Yet there may be a little of this cross-modal association in everyone. Most people agree that loud sounds are “brighter” than soft ones. Likewise, low-pitched sounds are reminiscent of large objects and high-pitched ones evoke smallness. Anne-Sylvie Crisinel and Charles Spence of Oxford University think something similar is true between sound and smell. [read more on the original article]

Source: www.economist.com, http://www.economist.com/node/21545975 [30-03-2012]

Finally Spring has arrived and the has sun started wearing its best clothes, relieving our lives with light and warmth. We will soon get thirsty ! In some situation there’s nothing better than a classic lemon tea, an asian one is even better because Aisa is where the glorious history of tea comes from.

iTQi has selected one for you. It’s called KJ Honey Citron Tea. “It is the first citron product in the world developed by Kookje Food to commercialize the Korean traditional citron tea as an international drink. It added honey into the citron of Goheung Mt. and Geojae Island. It is free from artificial flavoring, color and preservatives.”
“It is currently sold as a P/B product in E-Mart, the largest wholesale store in Korea. So its sanitation is strictly managed by E-Mart.”

This very good tasting tea made a really good impression to our sommeliers last year and the product has been awarded by iTQi with two stars.

Link

http://kl.gfair.or.kr/exhibition/exhibitorView.jsp?exhibitor_id=0007

Bernard Vaussion - Chef of the Elysee Palace

Allons enfants de la Patrieeee. Bernard Vaussion est arrivé! So, the Elysee Palace goes to iTQi, the temple of taste. Hired as a clerk a few months before the death of George Pompidou, 1974, the current Chef of the Elysee in almost 40 years of service fed the cream of the world : kings, queens, prime ministers and Nobel Prizes.

But this is not all. This year France will contribute to the iTQi mission with a monumental representation. Institutions will be represented also by Chef Jean Sabine (Quai d’Orsay) and it would not be really France without its most famous symbol the Tour Eiffel and the Chef of its restaurant, Alain Rex.

These are just three of the sixty Chefs that joined the iTQi’s jury this year. Twelve associations, representing nine european countries. The real stars of the cooking art were present, and some from the TV too, like the BBC Chef Alan Coxon and Alessandro Circiello best Solidus Chef in 2010 and currently working for the Rai Television.

Links

http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/les-cuisines-de-l-elysee-calmes-plats_551741.html

http://www.alainreix.com/

http://www.alancoxon.com/

http://www.alessandrocirciello.com/

What do you really know about your water tap filter ? This common and little object is costantly present in most of our lives and it filters water, the most important element for human body. Are you sure that yours works properly ?

Take a look at this post on ca-medicalnews.com and find out what is or is not suppossed to be in water.

The truth is that there are many mineral water benefits that you can enjoy. Water is supposed to have minerals in it – it is just not supposed to contain dangerous chemicals. There are a variety of minerals that should be in your water so you can get the most health benefits from that water. The danger today is that people often choose filters for their tap water that takes out everything, even the helpful minerals in the water. However, with the water purification systems with minerals that are available, you can eliminate the contaminants in water without stripping it of important minerals. What exactly are the mineral water benefits for your health? There are actually many. Here are just a few to consider.

[read more]

Mr. Pierre Vicini (Gilde des someliers de Belgique| Belgische sommeliersgilde) tasting one of the 500 drinks tested during the first drink session of the Superior Taste Award 2012

The first exciting session of tests has gone. Each of us has learned something, but for those that weren’t there, no panic !

From the website scotchwhisky.com here you go with a very interesting and useful post about how to taste whisky.

Cheers everybody and drink responsibly.

Tasting whisky – 1.Introduction to Tasting, The Senses.

The Nose
Whisky tasting is done principally with the nose – a far more acute organ than the tongue, although the two interrelate as the sample is swallowed.

While there are only four primary tastes, there are 32 primary smells. These are aromatic volatiles, which are detected by a small fleshy bulb called the Olfactory Epithelium, located at the back of our noses and having a direct link to the brain…[read more]