Whereas a perfumer can invent commercially successful aromas that are totally nonrepresentational—a Pollock in a crystal bottle—the flavorist must still respect the deeply held conservatism that people tend to hold when it comes to putting food in their mouths.
From The Taste Makers, about flavorists working at Givaudan, in the New Yorker. Many thanks to Kevin for the link!
The flavorists don't necessarily want to replicate the aroma. For example, if a fruit has a strong sulfur taste, they may try to eliminate that while preserving desirable characteristics.
[...] "When you're creating a flavor it's not a photograph," [Dawn] Streich said. "It's like an artists' rendition of what they see."
— From Looking for a Lemon 'Wow' -- International flavorists converge on UCR citrus groves at The Press-Enterprise, about a group of Givaudan flavorists smelling and tasting citrus at a grove owned by the University of California, Riverside.
Stella McCartney in conversation with Alexandra Shulman (video, talks about new scent L.I.L.Y) http://t.co/VAKYigvK "French parfumier Guerlain on trial over 'race slurs'" article at Telegraph http://t.co/lVDxoZMi Vote for NST's Mood Board on FB and win a Zoya Nail Polish collection! http://t.co/MXHMN7I3