The Flavor of Wood, Artur CisarErlach
The Flavor of Wood, Artur CisarErlach
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The Flavor of Wood
In Search of the Wild Taste of Trees, from Smoke and Sap to Root and Bark

Author: Artur Cisar-Erlach

Narrator: Timothy Andrés Pabon

Unabridged: 7 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/21/2019

Categories: Nonfiction, Cooking


Synopsis

Discover how the wild tastes of wood are already in your food, guided by a global flavor foragerMost people don’t expect wood to flavor their food beyond the barbecue, if at all, and gastronomists rarely discuss the significance that wood has on ultimate taste. But trees and wood have a far greater influence over our plate and palate than you might think. So what does wood taste of? And how has it been used in cooking, distilling, fermenting, and even perfume creation to produce a unique flavor and smell?To find out the answers to these questions, food communications expert Artur Cisar-Erlach embarked on a global journey to understand how trees infuse the world’s most delectable dishes with the flavor of their wood. His flavor hunt extended into a three-year exploration covering everything from pizza, whisky, cheese, tea, and perfume to quinine, wine, maple syrup, blue yogurt, and more. From wooden barrels used to age scotch in Austria to wood-burning pizza ovens of Naples to traditional Canadian maple syrup producers, The Flavor of Wood explores how wood infuses some of our best-loved foods through its smoke, sap, roots, and bark. As his quest spans continents and cultures, Cisar-Erlach introduces readers to a colorful cast of characters including Modenese balsamic vinegar producers, Piedmontese truffle hunters, South Tyrolean winemakers, and wild mountain pine chefs. Discovering that wood flavors beverages as well, the author encounters Austrian whisky distillers, Bavarian brewers, avant-garde central London tea merchants, and Indian tea exporters.A world trip brimming with fascinating encounters, unexpected turns, beautiful landscapes, scientific discoveries, and historic connections, The Flavor of Wood is the story of a passionate flavor hunter, and offers readers unparalleled access to some of the world’s highest quality cuisine and unknown tree flavors.

About Artur Cisar-Erlach

Artur Cisar-Erlach is a woodland ecologist, food communications expert, and cabinetmaker whose work spans the fields of food and ecotourism. He received his graduate degree in Food Culture and Communication at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, and was an editor of the Slow Food International Travel handbook. He divides his time between Vienna, Austria, and Nova Scotia, Canada. The Flavor of Wood is his first book.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Themis

I thought that this would be a book by an expert on the practice of cooking, eating, and flavouring with wood. Instead, it is a book by a passionate amateur who was first inspired by the fact that wooden barrels contribute to the flavour and aging process of wine. Why, he asks, do discussions of win......more

Goodreads review by Sherrie

***I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway*** The subtitle is "In Search of the Wild Taste of Trees from Smoke and Sap to Root and Bark" and that's very important. This book is almost entirely about the search and only slightly about the flavor of wood. If you're like me and you picked this up in ord......more

When I first received a copy of Artur Cisar-Erlach's The Flavor of Wood in the mail I wasn't really sure what to expect -- I mean, I was familiar with the idea that some alcohols are aged in wooden barrels and that, the (in my mind) quintessentially Canadian maple syrup comes from trees, but I was u......more