Why good food tastes good?

many years working in a major North American company focused on developing novel food and beverage products, and part self-help book, offering advice on how we could all improve our ability to taste (mindful eating plays a big role here). In his book, Stevenson provided us with what is, and undoubtedly will remain to be, by far the most comprehensive academic summary of pretty much every study that has ever been published concerning how the senses interact to give rise to the emergent property that is flavor (well that is certainly how it felt on reading it). By contrast, Prescott's much more easily-digestible contribution to the field tackled the question of why it is that we like what we like when it comes to food and drink. He too dealt with the differing roles of the senses in establishing and maintaining such preferences and, equally importantly, dislikes. The author honestly lays out her position at the start of the book when she states that: "But as someone who had avidly avoided science classes in school, I longed to read a straightforward book written for a layperson that could teach me how to taste food without first having to teach myself science. There wasn't one, so I decided to write this book.". Consistent…