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Randy Mosher, the renowned author of Tasting Beer, joins Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha today. This is his first time on the show but not the first time that Herlinda has mentioned his books.
Randy Mosher is one of the most well-known authors in the beer world. His book was on the reading list in the craft beer program that Herlinda taught at Sonoma State. The book Tasting Beer is in its second edition. It has been translated into 10 languages including Ukrainian. Herlinda’s friend Lana Svitankova actually did the translation. Lana was a guest on Brew Ha Ha on this episode on April 25, 2024.
His new book is Your Tasting Brain: a sensory approach to wine, beer and other pleasures. He spent six years working on this book. He was always interested in tasting and understanding it. Randy’s reason for putting “Brain” and “Tasting” both in the title is so that the book would attract readers interested in psychology and also others interested in tastes and flavors. It would be stocked in two different sections of a book store.
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We can taste what our dogs can’t.
Through all of his research, he learned that people have a special ability to zero in on food. Most other mammals can’t smell a lot of the flavors of cooked food that we do. And we all have the same physiological sensitivity and on top of that we can learn to recognize and identify flavors. Herlinda knows this process because as she was training to get certified as a beer judge, she had to learn the names to identify all the flavors she could taste.
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A lot of our perception of foods focusses on flaws, because we have to be on guard against spoiled food. That is especially true when it comes to beer, where there are a lot of ways that it can go off.
Because we all have the same brains and nervous systems, anyone can learn to recognize flavors. Randy suggests starting by smelling what is around you. Smell the roses, and it’s no cliché. Literally smell them and all the others. You start by trusting your taste.