The Theory of Deliciousness is a term I learned the evening I created this blog (July 19 2016), from this great article on David Chang’s Unified Theory of Deliciousness, from Wired Magazine. It basically gives his theory on some complex guidelines he has for creating what he hopes to be the next delicious dish for humans despite their backgrounds, cultures, etc.

My Theory of Deliciousness is the presence of balanced contrasting features in one creation to enhance the impact of each feature through a simultaneous presence of the opposing feature. Think “sweet & sour” in Chinese cuisine, for an example. You can appreciate something more if you knew what the opposite of it were like, or had it there to contrast against at the same time. Think of how much better success felt when you had failed numerous times before compared to easy success on the first try. The only difference is no flavour would be considered bad at all times, even if some may be considered negatively most of the time, like bitterness that might be comparable to failure. Each has their own value, especially in certain situations. Continue reading →