Thursday Salute to Originals: Edible 3D Food
Let’s throw practicality to the wind – this innovation is just plain cool. Cornell scientists have teamed up with leading chefs at the New York French Culinary Institute to develop a process that allows printing of edible objects in three dimensional format. Check out the image above – miniature space shuttles are crafted from cheese and scallops, adorning pristine plates as playful mealtime sculptures.
Using pureed forms of all sorts of ingredients (from cheese to chocolate to vegetables and turkey), advanced software allows the creation of complex geometries through a precise process that layers the food elements. The printer (shown below) unleashes new mixes of flavors and textures – exciting possibilities for chefs.
I’m certainly not a professional chef, but the innovative nature of altering the consistency of food, meshing flavors, and breaking boundaries of scale are interesting concepts. And while my gut reaction dismisses this as a frivolous and fanciful invention, I do wonder about the branding implications of themed food. It challenges modern notions of consumption in all aspects of culture, including architecture. Anyone care to devour some miniature Guggenheim Bilbao’s by chef Gehry? What flavor would best suit your architecture?
Image credit: PopSci.com, EnGadget