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Long abstract:

The measurement and documentation of flavours of fermented foods is a methodological challenge for many reasons, not least of which is subjective perception. Flavour is a synthesis of tastebud sensation and retronasal olfaction, with aromas making up the vast majority of variation in flavour. While fermented foods have hallmark taste qualities, oftentimes the key desired flavour of the food is aroma-based. In their vast recombinant diversity and still-mysterious pathways of cognition, aromas are by far the most challenging of the sensory properties of a food to name, document, and reproduce. This project intercepts a set of methodological problems about measurement by asking a question arising not from food science but from archival studies and media studies: how might flavours and smells be documented and encoded for future sharing and use? In an ongoing research-creation project, I have been experimenting with manners of archiving and documenting scents of ferments using scent itself as medium, rather than using measuring proxies relying on other senses. Using the ethos of low-tech and accessible methods which is rooted in my background as a community worker and cook, I experiment with DIY methods of archiving and encoding scents of fermented foods. My methods involve different approaches to concentrating and distilling scents of ferments, ‘printing’ then concentrated scents on cards, and sealing in the aromas for storage. Potential use cases for olfactory prints include providing sensory training on the stages of a ferment’s desired stage of completion, documenting experiments, and maintaining an archive of projects.