THE
FUTURE
OF
FOOD
The changing way we eat
This article was commissioned before Covid-19
Words Dominic Nicholls
Illustrations by Scaredy Cat
Words Dominic Nicholls
Illustrations by Scaredy Cat
A staple ingredient of many science fiction movies is the ‘food pill’; a small tablet containing all of humanity’s daily nutritional needs. While not light-years from reality, this glimpse of the future fails to acknowledge the important social benefits humans derive from food and communal dining.
But food alone is thought to be only a small, if central, part of what makes up a fabulous meal. Chefs and scientists (not a mutually exclusive bunch) are increasingly blending science, technology and gastronomy to stimulate all the senses, in an effort to produce the greatest dining experience humanity has ever known.
The Provençal Rosé paradox, according to Charles Spence of Oxford University, describes the unwelcome magic trick whereby that delightful bottle of wine sampled on holiday, has seemingly turned to vinegar when opened at home.
The wine may be the same, but the relaxed mind and sparkling company may not have survived the transit. It depends on how the brain absorbs and interprets information from all five senses.
Multi-sensory perception, as it is known, is becoming better understood and exploited. The relationship between taste and smell is a particular favourite study. These two senses, compared to the others, are filtered to a lesser degree on the way to the limbic system; the part of the brain processing memory and emotion.
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Foodies are excited. No more so than Chef Andoni Aduriz, holder of two Michelin stars at Mugaritz restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain. “In every corner of the world food is becoming a priority for research, innovation and creativity”, he says.
Hanne Colf, owner and chef at Louie Louie in Camberwell, London, says food appeals to all of the senses at the same time. “There’s no food I don’t like,” she tells me, “I’ll try everything, and I find value in most types of food. So having a bad meal doesn’t exist for me.”
The Provençal Rosé paradox, according to Charles Spence of Oxford University, describes the unwelcome magic trick whereby that delightful bottle of wine sampled on holiday, has seemingly turned to vinegar when opened at home.
The wine may be the same, but the relaxed mind and sparkling company may not have survived the transit. It depends on how the brain absorbs and interprets information from all five senses.
Multi-sensory perception, as it is known, is becoming better understood and exploited. The relationship between taste and smell is a particular favourite study. These two senses, compared to the others, are filtered to a lesser degree on the way to the limbic system; the part of the brain processing memory and emotion.
Foodies are excited. No more so than Chef Andoni Aduriz, holder of two Michelin stars at Mugaritz restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain. “In every corner of the world food is becoming a priority for research, innovation and creativity”, he says.
Hanne Colf, owner and chef at Louie Louie in Camberwell, London, says food appeals to all of the senses at the same time. “There’s no food I don’t like,” she tells me, “I’ll try everything, and I find value in most types of food. So having a bad meal doesn’t exist for me.”