New Frontiers of Taste Symposium Just Days Away!

It is now not long until our much-anticipated San Francisco event, New Frontiers of Taste, which will take place in July to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of umami.
Attendees will be treated to an information-packed day featuring an expert panel discussion, scientific and culinary conversations about umami, and a multi-course luncheon of umami-rich dishes prepared by some of the world’s most reputed chefs: Thomas Keller, Kunio Tokuoka and Hiro Sone. Space is limited and registration for the event closes soon, so sign up now. Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of a unique celebration that is sure to make umami history.

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Event Information

Event Details

This special event, celebrating the 100th year anniversary of Dr. Kikunae Ikeda's discovery of umami, the 5th taste, is timed to coincide with the International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste (ISOT), and is sure to draw a variety of attendees that includes chefs, culinary students, food and wine experts, scientists, journalists, and food lovers.

Event highlights will include:

Chair:
	KATHY SYKES, Ph.D. Professor of Sciences and Society, University of Bristol Dr. Sykes is one of Britain's best-known and most active scientists. In addition to being a professor at the University of Bristol, she is also a trustee of NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) and co-director of the Cheltenham Festival of Science. She has been featured on various BBC TV series, including “Rough Science,” “Ever Wondered About Food…,” and the BBC2 and Open University series “Alternative Medicine.” She also trains scientists in media, communication and dialogue skills.
Panelists:
	GARY BEAUCHAMP, Ph.D. Director, Monell Chemical Senses Center Ever since he had the opportunity to join the International Workshop on Molecular and Physical Aspects of Gastronomy in Sicily in the 1990s, Dr. Beauchamp has been fascinated by the concept of molecular gastronomy. The Director of Philadelphia's Monell Chemical Senses Center, Beauchamp leads a team of world-renowned scientists who investigate the basic mechanisms and functions of taste and smell. Beauchamp is a leader in the development of the scientific understanding of umami and has collaborated with Japanese research fellows on various research projects. He is also an avid cook with a deep understanding of the importance of umami in culinary art.
	John Prescott, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology, The University of Newcastle Dr. John Prescott is an Associate Professor of Psychology at The University of Newcastle in Australia, and former Director of the Sensory Science Research Centre (University of Otago, New Zealand) and the Sensory Research Centre (CSIRO, Australia). Prescott's research has explored various aspects of the human perception of taste, odor and somatosensory qualities, and he has published extensively on topics such as genetic variations in taste and flavor perception, and interactions between sensory systems important for food perceptions. He was recently awarded the inaugural Sense of Smell Institute Science of Fragrance Award for his work on the impact of odors on pain, and he edits several journals such as Food Quality and Preference.
	HAROLD McGEE, Ph.D. Food Writer Harold McGee writes about the science of food and cooking. He is the author of the award-winning book “On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen” (Scribner, 2004). In 2005, he was Bon Appétit magazine's choice for food writer of the year. He has published original research in Nature and Physics Today, and writes a monthly column about food science, “The Curious Cook,” for The New York Times. He appears on the 2008 Time 100 (Scientists & Thinkers) — Time magazine’s list of the world’s most influential people.
Chefs:
	CHEF THOMAS KELLER Chef & Restaurateur, The French Laundry, Per Se and Bouchon Chef Thomas Keller, one of the most inventive American chefs working today, is as renowned for his well-honed culinary skills as he is for his ability to establish a restaurant that is both relaxed and exciting. He began his culinary career at a young age, holding a series of apprenticeships in France and chef positions around America. He is the author of the award-winning "The French Laundry" and "Bouchon" cookbooks.
	CHEF KUNIO TOKUOKA Executive Chef, Kyoto Kitcho At the age of 15, Chef Kunio Tokuoka began his training at the flagship Arashiyama Kyoto Kitcho restaurant — a revered purveyor of Kyoto's kaiseki haute cuisine. 20 years later, in 1995, he was named Head Chef, a position that he still holds today. Based out of Kyoto, Japan, Tokuoka is an eager participant in international culinary events. He was the first representative of Japanese cuisine to be invited to the International Summit of Gastronomy in Madrid in 2005, and he has participated in a number of events organized by the Italian Slow Food Association. Tokuoka published a series of books on seasonal foods in 2007, and is the writer of a food column in Japan's Mainichi newspaper.
	CHEF HIRO SONE Chef & Owner, Terra and Ame The 2003 winner of the James Beard Foundation’s award for Best Chef in California and the first Japanese chef to have two restaurants with Michelin stars has certainly come a long way from his beginnings on his family’s Japanese rice farm, but his cuisine still pays homage to the great respect for food he gained there. After going from culinary school in Osaka, Japan to French and Italian restaurant kitchens in Tokyo, Chef Hiro Sone ended up in the kitchens of the renowned Wolfgang Puck. It was while training at Hollywood Spago, in preparation for the opening of Tokyo Spago, that Sone met his future wife and business partner Lissa Doumani. A few years later, the pair opened Terra restaurant in Napa Valley to overwhelming acclaim. In November 2005, they opened Ame in San Francisco.
Master of Wine:
	TIM HANNI Master of Wine and Wine Educator A professional chef and one of the first two resident Americans to earn the title of Master of Wine, Tim Hanni is a renowned figure in the world of gastronomy. He has been involved in various business, education and research activities over the past 35 years, and has lectured in over 27 countries. He is recognized worldwide for introducing umami to the wine and food community, and his ideas on balancing food and wine flavors have been highly influential. Hanni, a Certified Wine Educator, is currently CEO of the Napa Seasoning Company, and serves on the boards of several wine-affiliated institutions.