Classification of Unelaborated Culinary Products: Scientific and Culinary Approaches Meet Face to Face

Abstract

The ongoing academization of gastronomic studies indicates the necessity for a commonly accepted classification system for cooks that does not contradict scientific approaches. This work discusses the fundamentals used by chefs and scientists to classify unelaborated food products; proposes taxonomic gastronomy as a new interdisciplinary framework that studies the taxonomy surrounding gastronomy; and presents a categorization of unelaborated food products that follows commonly accepted culinary criteria yet avoids contradiction by scientific knowledge. As little literature focuses on these issues, and similar experiences are scarce, it is concluded that further cross-disciplinary endeavors such as this will continue to be greatly fruitful.

Keywords:

• gastronomy
• academization of cooking
• classification systems
• unelaborated culinary products
• plants
• fungi
• animals
• micro-organisms
• minerals
• interdisciplinary approach

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to those who participated in the different stages of the creation of the proposed classification of unelaborated products: Pere Arpa, Salvador Brugués, Maria Teresa Calvet, Oriol Cano, Vinyet Capdet, Núria Castells, Miguel Ángel Cuevas, Àngels Egea, Christian Escribà, Xavier Franco, Carles Gaig, Airy Gras, Oriol Ivern, Marta Juncadella, Nandu Jubany, Claudi Mans, Evarist March, Fabián Martín, Ada Parellada, Paco Pérez, Pere Planagumà, Fina Puigdevall, Mariana Ramírez de Arellano, Albert Raurich, Josep Maria Ribé, Joan Roca, Enric Rosich, Enric Rovira, Carme Ruscalleda, Xano Saguer, Patricia Schmidt, Montserrat Serra, Carles Tejedor, Sergio Torres, and Javier Torres, among others. Samuel Pyke (Barcelona Botanical Garden) is thanked for revision of the English.