The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained + More Than 100 Essential Recipes

Go beyond recipes in this groundbreaking and bestselling guide to elevating elemental ingredients to make delicious dishes that hit all the right notes, every time. From Nik Sharma, author of Season and Veg-table, host of America's Test Kitchen's Flavor Forward, and winner of the 2023 IACP Trailblazer Award.

"The Flavor Equation deserves space on the shelf right next to Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat as a titan of the how-and-why brigade."―The New Yorker

Aroma, texture, sound, emotion―these are just a few of the elements that play into our perceptions of flavor. In a completely unique and accessible way, Nik Sharma takes readers on an in-depth exploration into the science of taste and demonstrates how to convert approachable spices, herbs, and commonplace pantry items into tasty, simple dishes.

With more than 100 recipes paired with illustrations, anecdotes, and Sharma's evocative, trademark food photography and styling, The Flavor Equation is a knockout volume that provides inspiration and essential knowledge to both home cooks and seasoned chefs.

Recipes, divided into seven sections, include:

• Brightness: Lemon-Lime Mintade
• Bitterness: Chocolate Miso Bread Pudding
• Saltiness: Roasted Tomato and Tamarind Soup
• Sweetness: Honey Turmeric Chicken Kebabs with Pineapple
• Savoriness: Blistered Shishito Peppers with Bonito Flakes
• Fieriness: Chicken Lollipops
• Richness: Coconut Milk Cake

A cookbook that offers a new way of looking at food, this is the perfect gift or self-purchase for home cooks who are interested in the science of food and flavor.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM: Named one of the Best Fall Cookbooks upon its release by The New York Times, Eater, Epicurious, Food & Wine, Forbes, Saveur, Serious Eats, The Smithsonian, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, CNN Travel, The Kitchn, Chowhound, and NPR. Winner of The Guild of U.K. Food Writers (General Cookbook) and finalist for the 2021 IACP Cookbook Award. 

HAILED BY CULINARY SUPERSTARS: Yotam Ottolenghi calls The Flavor Equation "deep and illuminating, fresh and highly informative … a most brilliant achievement." J. Kenji López-Alt proclaims it "a beautiful and intelligent book." Nigella Lawson calls it "original, thought-provoking, and illuminating. It is a book that will change the way you think about food and cooking, and will help to make all your other cookbooks make sense."

FOR BEGINNERS & SEASONED HOME COOKS: The science of flavor is made accessible to every reader in these pages, with more in-depth information offered in a comprehensive appendix. Sharma dives deep into the most basic of our pantry items—salts, oils, sugars, vinegars, citrus, peppers, and more—artfully explaining the science behind why each flavor component works.

Perfect for:

• Home cooks who want to learn more about food and flavor
• Those interested in the science of food
• Birthday, holiday, housewarming, or graduation gift for food enthusiasts
• Readers of Lucky Peach, Serious Eats, Indian-Ish, and Koreatown
• Add it to the shelf with cookbooks like The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science; Ottolenghi Flavor: A Cookbook; Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking; and On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

Nik Sharma is the bestselling author of cookbooks celebrated for blending culinary science with deeply personal storytelling: Season, The Flavor Equation, and Veg-table. A former molecular biologist, Sharma brings a unique lens to the kitchen, where flavor is both a feeling and a formula. He’s the creator of the award-winning blog Nik Sharma Cooks (formerly A Brown Table), serves as Editor in Residence at America’s Test Kitchen, and hosts the YouTube show Flavor Forwardwith Nik Sharma. His writing and photography have been featured in The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. He lives in Los Angeles, California, where he’s always dreaming up his next recipe.