The Flavor of Wood (In Search of the Wild Taste of Trees from Smoke and Sap to Root and Bark)

Most people don’t expect wood to flavor their food beyond the barbecue, if at all,  and gastronomists rarely discuss the significance that wood has on ultimate  taste. But trees and wood have a far greater influence over our plate and palate  than you might think. So what does wood taste of? And how has it been used in  cooking, distilling, fermenting, and even perfume creation to produce a unique  flavor and smell?To find out the answers to these  questions, food communications expert Artur Cisar-Erlach embarked on a global  journey to understand how trees infuse the world’s most delectable dishes with  the flavor of their wood. His flavor hunt extended into a three-year  exploration covering everything from pizza, whisky, cheese, tea, and perfume to  quinine, wine, maple syrup, blue yogurt, and more. From wooden barrels used to  age scotch in Austria to wood-burning pizza ovens of Naples to traditional  Canadian maple syrup producers, The  Flavor of Wood explores how wood infuses some of our best-loved foods  through its smoke, sap, roots, and bark. As his quest spans continents and cultures, Cisar-Erlach introduces readers to a colorful cast of characters including Modenese balsamic vinegar producers, Piedmontese truffle hunters, South  Tyrolean winemakers, and wild mountain pine chefs. Discovering that wood  flavors beverages as well, the author encounters Austrian whisky distillers,  Bavarian brewers, avant-garde central London tea merchants, and Indian tea  exporters.A  world trip brimming with fascinating encounters, unexpected turns, beautiful  landscapes, scientific discoveries, and historic connections, The Flavor of Wood is the story of a  passionate flavor hunter, and offers readers unparalleled access to some of the  world’s highest quality cuisine and unknown tree flavors.