
Gastronomy is the study and practice of food and eating, encompassing culinary techniques, cultural traditions, sensory experience, and the social institutions that shape cuisines. It spans historical treatises and modern food science, influences restaurant evaluation systems and heritage policy, and today intersects with sustainability and public health.

Sourdough is a type of bread made through the fermentation of dough using naturally occurring lactobacilli and yeast. This process imparts a distinctive tangy flavor and chewy texture, distinguishing it from breads leavened with commercial yeast.