Can a cloud taste? Is it possible to create a scent of wet earth? What is oil powder? And the spherical gazpacho? These are some of the technologies that are allowing chefs to innovate in terms of flavors, textures …
Pea ravioli liquid spheres.Oil pearls, false caviar of melon with ham, spherical pea ravioli, raspberry balls, liquid croquettes, spherical gazpacho … These are some of the foods that can be cooked with the technique ofspherification, which uses a substance calledalginate– obtained from natural algae – to create spheres of liquid food protected by a very thin flexible membrane that “explodes” when it comes into contact with the mouth and immediately releases its contents.
Scent of earth.In 2007, Joan Roca, restaurateur from Girona, decided to take the rotary evaporator traditionally used in chemistry laboratories to his own kitchen todistill ingredients and make own aromas. Thus he obtained his “oyster alscent of wet earth“, with earth distillates, a whole” nostalgic “experience for the senses, according to those who have tried it. Currently, there is no chef worth his salt who does not have this device next to his stove.
Liquid nitrogen.Thanks to liquid nitrogen it is possible to freeze almost any ingredient instantly. But it’s not just the speed that counts. The important is that,at the low temperatures reached with this technique (-196 ºC), the mechanical properties of the food changeand you can get products as original as oil powder, tomato popcorn or corn bonbon.
Clouds that feed.What do clouds taste like? If we talk about the “flavor clouds” created by David Edwards, from Harvard University (USA), they taste like lemon tart, caramel, tomato soup, chocolate muffins … And all thanks to Le Whaf, an original device in the shape of a fish tank thatturns any food into microdropletsthat, together, form puffs of smoke. When you breathe them, you get “a complete taste experience without the need to consume just calories,” says Edwards.
