Food Lab meets Season in this scientific and delicious approach to cooking, from beloved cookbook author Nik Sharma.

Finalist for the 2022 James Beard Cookbook Award and a Finalist for the 2021 IACP Cookbook Award 

Named one of the Best Fall Cookbooks 2020 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, NPR, The Art of Eating Longlist 2021 and many more; plus international media attention including The Financial times, The Globe and Mail, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, The Times (U.K.), Delicious Magazine (U.K.), The Times (Ireland), and Vogue India and winner of The Guild of U.K. Food Writers (General Cookbook).  

“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

Named one of the Best Fall Cookbooks 2020 by Eater, Epicurious, and Chowhound.

"Deep and illuminating, fresh and highly informative… a most brilliant achievement.” – Yotam Ottolenghi

"[A] beautiful and intelligent book." – J. Kenji López-Alt, author The Food Lab and Chief Consultant for Serious Eats.com

Aroma, texture, sound, emotion—these are just a few of the elements that play into our perceptions of flavor.

The Flavor Equation

demonstrates how to convert approachable spices, herbs, and commonplace pantry items into tasty, simple dishes.

In this groundbreaking book, Nik Sharma, scientist, food blogger, and author of the buzz-generating cookbook Season, guides home cooks on an exploration of flavor in more than 100 recipes.

• Provides inspiration and knowledge to both home cooks and seasoned chefs
• An in-depth exploration into the science of taste
• Features Nik Sharma's evocative, trademark photography style

The Flavor Equation is an accessible guide to elevating elemental ingredients to make delicious dishes that hit all the right notes, every time.

Recipes include Brightness: Lemon-Lime Mintade, Saltiness: Roasted Tomato and Tamarind Soup, Sweetness: Honey Turmeric Chicken Kebabs with Pineapple, Savoriness: Blistered Shishito Peppers with Bonito Flakes, and Richness: Coconut Milk Cake.

• A global, scientific approach to cooking from bestselling cookbook author Nik Sharma
• Dives deep into the most basic of our pantry items—salts, oils, sugars, vinegars, citrus, peppers, and more
• Perfect gift for home cooks who want to learn more beyond recipes, those interested in the science of food and flavor, and 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 by J. Kenji López-Alt; Ottolenghi Flavor: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi, and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat.