What can ethnography offer the gastronomic sciences?

Abstract

In this article, we explore how ethnography—a social-scientific methodology of immersion in specific social or cultural groups to gain insight—can contribute to the gastronomic sciences. Our aim is to illustrate the benefits of using ethnography in gastronomic settings for both social scientists and gastronomy practitioners including chefs, and to discuss strategies for addressing practical challenges that may arise. Based on ethnographic research conducted in a restaurant research and development (R&D) kitchen, we identify three key questions relevant for the gastronomic sciences that ethnography is well-positioned to address, and discuss some strategies for doing so. The three questions are: (1) how does the creative process in culinary environments actually work?; (2) how do chefs, producers, and other culinary professionals become able to ‘taste together’ despite different backgrounds, bodies, and preferences?; and (3) how can different media, perspectives, kinds of knowledge, and disciplinary approaches be made legible to each other and brought together to facilitate the gastronomic sciences? With this paper we contribute to the transdisciplinary agenda and practice of the gastronomic sciences by showing chefs and natural scientists how ethnography can contribute to their work, and showing social scientists some ways ethnographic expertise can help develop the field.