LLEK10272U Thematic Course: Gastronomy and Health

The course contains two parts. Initially an intensive three week teaching program that gives overview of concepts and methods used in a scientific approach to gastronomic production (such as molecular gastronomy and New Nordic Kitchen). It also provides concrete actionable competences in innovation, intra- and entrepreneurship. In part two, students work project-based in groups with development, pitching and consumer test of actual food products, based on challenges from enterprises or organisations.

The teaching program contains:
Reading and practical experience with classic (e.g. smoke-curing and fermentation) and new (e.g. freeze-drying and sous vide) tools and techniques in the production of food and meals in a gastronomic context.
The scientific focus is the understanding of the chemistry and physics behind the gastronomic preparation methods and the effect of these methods on the physical, chemical and sensory conditions of food with regard to creating aesthetic, palatable and healthy products in accordance with nutritional principles of today.

Real business cases with development of New Nordic Foods.
Practical exercises in gastronomic techniques.
Exercises with and reflection over culinary processes to understand how they contribute to palatability in healthy foods.
Gastronomic creativity training: development and production of foods under various constraints (time, materials, economy, techniques) to develop an innovative mind-set, increase students’ gastronomic creativity and promote action-oriented work based on own academic and professional competences.

In the project phase students work independently in groups with a challenge from enterprises or organisations. The problem is analysed in a scientific way and the subject is discussed using competences acquired through the teaching period and the preceding course work in the education. The approach trains students to apply their theoretical academic background to create new food products based on Nordic raw materials, using their scientific approach to gastronomy, consumer experience and behaviour.