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Holistic Cuisine – A focus beyond the plate
Author’s Accepted Manuscript Holistic Cuisine – A focus beyond the plate Louise Beck Brønnum, Rasmus Munk
www.elsevier.com
PII: DOI: Reference:
S1878-450X(18)30119-7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2018.11.009 IJGFS130
To appear in: International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science Received date: 30 August 2018 Accepted date: 30 November 2018 Cite this article as: Louise Beck Brønnum and Rasmus Munk, Holistic Cuisine – A focus beyond the plate, International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2018.11.009 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting galley proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION
Holistic Cuisine – A focus beyond the plate Louise Beck Brønnum, Rasmus Munk Alchemist, Refshalevej 173 C, 1432 Copenhagen, Denmark Abstract: The restaurant Alchemist was founded by chef and restaurateur Rasmus Munk in 2015. Recently having finished the first chapter in the tale of Alchemist, the team now embarks on chapter two. In this process, Rasmus Munk discovered a need to articulate the style of cuisine that has been cultivated at Alchemist since its opening. This cuisine, referred to by the authors as Holistic Cuisine, has a holistic approach extending beyond the plate to create thought-provoking, aesthetical, emotional and gastrophysical meal experiences. Just like gastrophysics uses gastronomy as an empirical base, the team at Alchemist uses knowledge from different fields, such as the sciences and the arts, as an interdisciplinary theoretical base. This base is used to express, understand, and reflect upon our actions and responsibilities of the meals served in the restaurant. In this paper, the two authors (a chef and a scientist) reflect on the creation of Holistic Cuisine originating at Alchemist. The discussion focuses on three aspects of Holistic Cuisine as seen through the lens of three dishes on the menu. It also includes reflections based on existing literature on meal experiences.
The meal as a whole – background and overview At Alchemist, similar to true alchemists, we look at the whole created by elements. As in Coelho´s 2015 book The Alchemist, it is not until the alchemist sees the whole of all the elements that gold appears (Coelho, 2015). Similarly, at a restaurant, many elements also need to be accounted for in order to create a perfect meal for each guest dining at the restaurant (Spencer and PiquerasFiszman 2014). Factors influencing the meal experience include elements from natural sciences such as physiology, chemistry, and physics, from social sciences such as sociology, psychology, history, as well as from humanities such as philosophy, art and design, music and literature (Korsmeyer 1999). It is our belief that during a meal experience, these elements are likely to overlap and might therefore be too complex to measure separately. Even scientists acknowledge the complexity of the meal, which reaches far beyond what we sense on the plate, or with whom we dine, the room, and the atmosphere (Muñoz et al. 2018; Meiselmann 2008a; Edwardson and
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION Gustafson 2008). To acknowledge this complexity of the meal, we will try to argue and explore how a new cuisine was developed from a focus beyond the plate.
To our understanding, a cuisine that takes both scientific and/or ethical considerations, as well as form, context and other aesthetical practices into account, has not previously been articulated. We argue that, considering the complexity of a meal, chefs and other food professionals will benefit greatly from including scientific, ethical, and aesthetical factors when designing meal experiences. This enables them to incorporate and communicate food culture and ethical and social perspectives that are embedded both in our sense of pleasure as well as in other feelings such as “meaningful disgust”. This might lead to, in the short run, a change in a guest’s personal values as stated in Sobal et al. 2006 model, figure 1, or in the long run, a change of the food culture and system.
Figure 1:Food choice process model, covering suggested factors influencing food choice taken from Sobal et al. (2006)
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION Holistic Cuisine was created at Alchemist in order to address these broad considerations holistically. We believe that Holistic Cuisine encompasses this complexity of a meal, and Alchemist hopes to utilize the power associated with it to generate changes both on an individual level as well as on a local, national, and global level. This includes educational, cultural, and ethical aspects of not only food, but life in general. This present paper will, through a literature study, analyse Holistic Cuisine at Alchemist as seen through the lens of three former dishes that we find have significantly influenced the meal experiences at the restaurant. One of the new initiatives at Alchemist is an integrated space in the restaurant setting, which further explores meals with an interdisciplinary approach through sciences, art and gastronomy spearheaded by a gastrophysist. We refer to this as the T[A]este lab. Due to the scope of this present paper, the T[A]este lab will not be further elaborated on in this paper but might be interesting to analyse in future studies.
What we sense – The Cherry The world of food science, food choice, acceptance, and experience have often been scientifically approached through what we sense (Meiselman 2008b). This is of great impact, since it is our first meeting with food (Korsmeyer 1999). We see it, hear it, touch it, smell it, and taste it, all of which create certain expectations and, through perceptions, tell us if the expectation is true or false (Spencer and Piqueras-Fiszman 2014). You see a lemon and you expect it to be sour, because that is what you know or have experienced before. When you then taste it, you perceive it as sour and your expectations turn out to be true. In a restaurant context, this human mechanism enables us to create experiences that are sensorially incongruent, as explained by Spencer and Piqueras-Fiszman (2014). A well-known phenomena within sensory incongruity is that the food does not taste of what it looks like (Spencer and Piqueras-Fiszman 2014). But the surprise created by incongruity can also come from textures that confuse your senses. This was the case when Alchemist served a cherry with a hard chocolate shell, covering an intensely flavoured liquid cherry juice, that exploded in the mouth when bitten into: A surprise of two textures that normally are not associated with a cherry that is expected to be solid inside, see figure 2.
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION
Figure 2: Picture taken of the cherries served at Alchemist 1.0. A chocolate shell covering an intensely flavoured liquid cherry juice. Photo: Søren Gammelmark Photography.
Our back pack – Lamb Heart In the quest for understanding people’s food choices, social sciences have been mentioned as a factor of great influence (Fischler 1988; Rozin 2015). Why is it that in some parts of the world insects are a considered a delicacy while others find them disgusting? Why do some people forsake meat while others cannot live without it? We make our choices, as omnivores, often based on a social and cultural background (Fischler 1988; Rozin and Tuorila 1993; Rozin 2015). The social and cultural background dictates rules and norms about what we eat. They ensure we do not eat something harmful in line with our values or norms, such as animals if being vegetarian. Values, which Sobal et al. has defined(Sobal et al. 2016), we will here define as “baggage" pakced in our “back pack”. Our personal back pack includes social values, but also our knowledge and moral values of what we perceive as “good” and “evil”. Values can change in situations where we change context, meet a role model who tells us differently, or have a good or bad experience (Sobal et al. 2016).
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION A restaurateur has the unique possibility and, in our view, a responsibility, to highlight social or ethical topics such as sustainability, respect of what we eat, who we eat with, and the world we live in. This entails a potential “power” to change the values in the guest’s back pack, either through one dish alone or through the total meal experience.
Figure 3: Picture of the Lamb Heart serving. Lamb heart served as a tatare inside a lamb heart on ice. On the side a blood transfusion bag containing blood sauce and a donor information leaflet. Photo: Søren Gammelmark Photography.
An example of such a dish from Alchemist is a lamb heart that is served as tartare on ice in a raw lamb heart with a blood sauce served from a transfusion bag, see figure 3. The statement behind this dish is rather explicit: In 2016, 29 Danes died while waiting for an organ transplant. The lack of organ donors inspired chef Rasmus Munk to develop the dish, which is served with a donor information leaflet on the side. It is a personal matter whether people are willing to donate their organs or not, but we believe it must be an active choice. With this dish, Alchemist encourages the guest to take a stand. The quote below illustrates how a diner might review the dining experience in the context of their personal “back pack”:
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION “Alchemist looks to instead build a rapport with its guests by way of an immersive universe built around the music, décor and stories behind each dish, the 26 years old Chef challenging diners to explore ideas of what is edible and how dining relates to personal beliefs and memories” – Michael U, Las Vegas (Unpublished, TripAdvisor 2017)
Judgement - the bridge – The Ashtray A restaurant often measures its performance by the guests’ reviews of the dining experience. Being able to understand what makes an enjoyable and unforgettable dining experience is of great importance to the restaurateur (Spencer and Piqueras-Fiszman 2014). We believe that with such an understanding comes also a great responsibility to utilize this knowledge to create thoughts, and maybe a transformation, of the guests’ future choices in life. The final step to building the bridge between what the guest perceives through the senses to the content of each guest’s back pack might be key to understanding the guest’s overall judgement of the meal (Korsmeyer 1999).
This connection, or bridge, has in the literature been explained as aesthetical communication (Carlsen 2003, Korsmeyer 1999). This connection is in our opinion often neglected by chefs when they create meal experiences. Aesthetical communication in this context refers to the retelling of a dish’s or a meal’s beauty, or non-beauty, by connecting to the guest’s personal back pack (Korsmeyer 1999). It is the restaurant’s job to create this retelling (Carlsen 2003). But how does a restaurant achieve this?
The retelling can be divided into two parts; the non-verbal and the verbal. The non-verbal part includes factors such as symbols, forms, or other aesthetical approaches. The verbal part includes factors such as an articulation of the idea or history behind the dish. The articulation is not a very long explanation of the dish’s origin or production. It is only told if the story makes a difference for the guest´s experience. Aesthetical communication aims to inspire new reflections, thoughts, and ideas. In this process, the guest might experience pleasure or disgust by forms or symbols in the dish, or the context in which it is served, and thereby experience a change of values that might affect the final judgement of the meal experience (Carlsen 2003).
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION
Figure 4: Picture of the ashtray serving. A homage to Rasmus Munk’s Grandmother, who died from lungcancer, and who loved the danish dish "Burning Love". The Ashtray is very similar in flavour and ingredients, but the form and story gives a reminder of the consequences of smoking. Photo: Søren Gammelmark Photography.
An example of a dish that at first glance brought forth disgust was a dish named “The Ashtray” that was served at Alchemist in 2017. The dish resembled an ashtray filled to the rim with what appeared to be cigarette ashes. However, the content of the metal ashtray was a classical Danish dish called “Burning Love”, consisting mostly of mashed potatoes, fried bacon and melted butter. Besides being rich in umami and flavours of comfort, “Burning Love” was also Rasmus Munk’s grandmother’s favourite dish. She died from lung cancer a few years back after a lifetime of smoking, and so “The Ashtray” is both a homage to her and a reminder of the consequences of smoking. Guests were thus not explicitly lectured about whether smoking is or is not good for you. However, the question was often posed in the conversations that followed. For others, the flavours simply stirred up memories connecting the dish to the content of each guest’s back pack. The quote below highlights how a diner might experience this aspect of Holistic Cuisine at Alchemist:
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION “Prepare yourself for a gastronomic fairytale when entering into the restaurant. Your journey through the 45 courses the meal lasts is above your imagination. Both your personal and emotional boundaries will be pushed. Let the Rasmus Munk Magic bedazzle you......Bon appetite” – Cathrine Fogel, Copenhagen (Unpublished, Facebook 2016)
Focus beyond the plate The motivation for formulating Holistic Cuisine came from a desire to articulate the approach cultivated at Alchemist since its opening that extends further than techniques, (food) culture and traditions. This is a cuisine that encapsulates a holistic understanding of all the components needed in the creation of meal experiences. Rasmus Munk found that no existing cuisine was adequate or able to capture all the above-mentioned actions, responsibilities, and visions for the meal experience created at Alchemist. Therefore, Holistic Cuisine was created with the aim of making food for thought that extend beyond the plate, while also acknowledging the complexity of a total meal experience. This is a focus and experience not only concerning social and ethical perspectives, but all elements that matter in living a responsible life, embedded in pleasure (or meaningful disgust).
References Carlsen, H.B., 2003. Taste as a matter of pedagogical concern, in: Bäckstöm, P., Johansson, T.D., (Eds.), Sense and Senses in Aesthetics. Finland: NSU Press, Uppsala. Coelho, P., 2015. The Alchemist, 25th anniversary ed. HarperCollins, London. Edwards, J.S.A., Gustafsson, I.B., 2008. The Five Aspects Meal Model. Journal of Foodservice. 19(1), 4–12. https://doi-org.ep.fjernadgang.kb.dk/10.1111/j.1745-4506.2007.00075.x Korsmeyer, C., 1999. Making Sense of Taste, Food and Philosophy. 1st ed. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, N.Y. Meiselman, H.L.L., 2008a. Dimensions of the Meal. Journal of Foodservice. 19(1), 13-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-4506.2008.00076.x. Meiselman, H.L.L., 2008b. Experiencing food products within a physical and social context. Product Experience. Elsevier Ltd. 559–580. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-045089-6.50027-7
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION
Muñoz, F., Hildebrandt, A., Schacht, A., Stürmer, B., Bröcker, F., Martín-Loeches, M., Sommer, W., 2018. What Makes the Hedonic Experience of a Meal in a Top Restaurant Special and Retrievable in the Long Term? Meal-related, Social and Personality Factors. Appetite. 125, 454-465. https://doiorg/10.1016/j.appet.2018.02.024
Rozin, P., 2015. Disgust, Psychology of:. In: James D. Wright (editor-in-chief), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd ed., 6, Oxford: Elsevier. 546-549.
Fischler, C., 1988. Food, Self and Identity. Social Science Information/sur les sciences sociales, 27, Pp.275-292. https://doi-org/10.1177/053901888027002005.
Rozin, P., & Tuorila, H., 1993. Simultaneous and temporal contextual influences on food choice. Food quality and preference, 4, 11-20.
Sobal, J.A., Bisogni, C. A. M., Devine C. M., Jastran, M., 2006. A Conceptual Model of the Food Choice Process over the Life Course. In: Shepherd, R., Raats, M. (Eds.), The Psychology of Food Choice, CABI Publishing, New York, pp.1-18. https://doi-org/10.1079/9780851990323.0001
Spence, C., Piqueras‐Fiszman, B., 2014. On the Future of the Perfect Meal. In: Spence, C., Piqueras‐ Fiszman, B. (Eds), The Perfect Meal. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK. pp. 339-81.
Web References: Facebook of Alchemist, 2016. Review by Cathrine Fogel on the facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pg/Alchemist.CPH/reviews/?ref=page_internal. (accessed 1st of October 2018). TripAdvisor, 2017. Review by Michael U on Alchemist´s TripAdvisor page. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g189541-d8547060-r507345117-AlchemistCopenhagen_Zealand.html. (accessed 1st of October 2018)
www.elsevier.com
PII: DOI: Reference:
S1878-450X(18)30119-7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2018.11.009 IJGFS130
To appear in: International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science Received date: 30 August 2018 Accepted date: 30 November 2018 Cite this article as: Louise Beck Brønnum and Rasmus Munk, Holistic Cuisine – A focus beyond the plate, International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2018.11.009 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting galley proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION
Holistic Cuisine – A focus beyond the plate Louise Beck Brønnum, Rasmus Munk Alchemist, Refshalevej 173 C, 1432 Copenhagen, Denmark Abstract: The restaurant Alchemist was founded by chef and restaurateur Rasmus Munk in 2015. Recently having finished the first chapter in the tale of Alchemist, the team now embarks on chapter two. In this process, Rasmus Munk discovered a need to articulate the style of cuisine that has been cultivated at Alchemist since its opening. This cuisine, referred to by the authors as Holistic Cuisine, has a holistic approach extending beyond the plate to create thought-provoking, aesthetical, emotional and gastrophysical meal experiences. Just like gastrophysics uses gastronomy as an empirical base, the team at Alchemist uses knowledge from different fields, such as the sciences and the arts, as an interdisciplinary theoretical base. This base is used to express, understand, and reflect upon our actions and responsibilities of the meals served in the restaurant. In this paper, the two authors (a chef and a scientist) reflect on the creation of Holistic Cuisine originating at Alchemist. The discussion focuses on three aspects of Holistic Cuisine as seen through the lens of three dishes on the menu. It also includes reflections based on existing literature on meal experiences.
The meal as a whole – background and overview At Alchemist, similar to true alchemists, we look at the whole created by elements. As in Coelho´s 2015 book The Alchemist, it is not until the alchemist sees the whole of all the elements that gold appears (Coelho, 2015). Similarly, at a restaurant, many elements also need to be accounted for in order to create a perfect meal for each guest dining at the restaurant (Spencer and PiquerasFiszman 2014). Factors influencing the meal experience include elements from natural sciences such as physiology, chemistry, and physics, from social sciences such as sociology, psychology, history, as well as from humanities such as philosophy, art and design, music and literature (Korsmeyer 1999). It is our belief that during a meal experience, these elements are likely to overlap and might therefore be too complex to measure separately. Even scientists acknowledge the complexity of the meal, which reaches far beyond what we sense on the plate, or with whom we dine, the room, and the atmosphere (Muñoz et al. 2018; Meiselmann 2008a; Edwardson and
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION Gustafson 2008). To acknowledge this complexity of the meal, we will try to argue and explore how a new cuisine was developed from a focus beyond the plate.
To our understanding, a cuisine that takes both scientific and/or ethical considerations, as well as form, context and other aesthetical practices into account, has not previously been articulated. We argue that, considering the complexity of a meal, chefs and other food professionals will benefit greatly from including scientific, ethical, and aesthetical factors when designing meal experiences. This enables them to incorporate and communicate food culture and ethical and social perspectives that are embedded both in our sense of pleasure as well as in other feelings such as “meaningful disgust”. This might lead to, in the short run, a change in a guest’s personal values as stated in Sobal et al. 2006 model, figure 1, or in the long run, a change of the food culture and system.
Figure 1:Food choice process model, covering suggested factors influencing food choice taken from Sobal et al. (2006)
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION Holistic Cuisine was created at Alchemist in order to address these broad considerations holistically. We believe that Holistic Cuisine encompasses this complexity of a meal, and Alchemist hopes to utilize the power associated with it to generate changes both on an individual level as well as on a local, national, and global level. This includes educational, cultural, and ethical aspects of not only food, but life in general. This present paper will, through a literature study, analyse Holistic Cuisine at Alchemist as seen through the lens of three former dishes that we find have significantly influenced the meal experiences at the restaurant. One of the new initiatives at Alchemist is an integrated space in the restaurant setting, which further explores meals with an interdisciplinary approach through sciences, art and gastronomy spearheaded by a gastrophysist. We refer to this as the T[A]este lab. Due to the scope of this present paper, the T[A]este lab will not be further elaborated on in this paper but might be interesting to analyse in future studies.
What we sense – The Cherry The world of food science, food choice, acceptance, and experience have often been scientifically approached through what we sense (Meiselman 2008b). This is of great impact, since it is our first meeting with food (Korsmeyer 1999). We see it, hear it, touch it, smell it, and taste it, all of which create certain expectations and, through perceptions, tell us if the expectation is true or false (Spencer and Piqueras-Fiszman 2014). You see a lemon and you expect it to be sour, because that is what you know or have experienced before. When you then taste it, you perceive it as sour and your expectations turn out to be true. In a restaurant context, this human mechanism enables us to create experiences that are sensorially incongruent, as explained by Spencer and Piqueras-Fiszman (2014). A well-known phenomena within sensory incongruity is that the food does not taste of what it looks like (Spencer and Piqueras-Fiszman 2014). But the surprise created by incongruity can also come from textures that confuse your senses. This was the case when Alchemist served a cherry with a hard chocolate shell, covering an intensely flavoured liquid cherry juice, that exploded in the mouth when bitten into: A surprise of two textures that normally are not associated with a cherry that is expected to be solid inside, see figure 2.
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION
Figure 2: Picture taken of the cherries served at Alchemist 1.0. A chocolate shell covering an intensely flavoured liquid cherry juice. Photo: Søren Gammelmark Photography.
Our back pack – Lamb Heart In the quest for understanding people’s food choices, social sciences have been mentioned as a factor of great influence (Fischler 1988; Rozin 2015). Why is it that in some parts of the world insects are a considered a delicacy while others find them disgusting? Why do some people forsake meat while others cannot live without it? We make our choices, as omnivores, often based on a social and cultural background (Fischler 1988; Rozin and Tuorila 1993; Rozin 2015). The social and cultural background dictates rules and norms about what we eat. They ensure we do not eat something harmful in line with our values or norms, such as animals if being vegetarian. Values, which Sobal et al. has defined(Sobal et al. 2016), we will here define as “baggage" pakced in our “back pack”. Our personal back pack includes social values, but also our knowledge and moral values of what we perceive as “good” and “evil”. Values can change in situations where we change context, meet a role model who tells us differently, or have a good or bad experience (Sobal et al. 2016).
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION A restaurateur has the unique possibility and, in our view, a responsibility, to highlight social or ethical topics such as sustainability, respect of what we eat, who we eat with, and the world we live in. This entails a potential “power” to change the values in the guest’s back pack, either through one dish alone or through the total meal experience.
Figure 3: Picture of the Lamb Heart serving. Lamb heart served as a tatare inside a lamb heart on ice. On the side a blood transfusion bag containing blood sauce and a donor information leaflet. Photo: Søren Gammelmark Photography.
An example of such a dish from Alchemist is a lamb heart that is served as tartare on ice in a raw lamb heart with a blood sauce served from a transfusion bag, see figure 3. The statement behind this dish is rather explicit: In 2016, 29 Danes died while waiting for an organ transplant. The lack of organ donors inspired chef Rasmus Munk to develop the dish, which is served with a donor information leaflet on the side. It is a personal matter whether people are willing to donate their organs or not, but we believe it must be an active choice. With this dish, Alchemist encourages the guest to take a stand. The quote below illustrates how a diner might review the dining experience in the context of their personal “back pack”:
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION “Alchemist looks to instead build a rapport with its guests by way of an immersive universe built around the music, décor and stories behind each dish, the 26 years old Chef challenging diners to explore ideas of what is edible and how dining relates to personal beliefs and memories” – Michael U, Las Vegas (Unpublished, TripAdvisor 2017)
Judgement - the bridge – The Ashtray A restaurant often measures its performance by the guests’ reviews of the dining experience. Being able to understand what makes an enjoyable and unforgettable dining experience is of great importance to the restaurateur (Spencer and Piqueras-Fiszman 2014). We believe that with such an understanding comes also a great responsibility to utilize this knowledge to create thoughts, and maybe a transformation, of the guests’ future choices in life. The final step to building the bridge between what the guest perceives through the senses to the content of each guest’s back pack might be key to understanding the guest’s overall judgement of the meal (Korsmeyer 1999).
This connection, or bridge, has in the literature been explained as aesthetical communication (Carlsen 2003, Korsmeyer 1999). This connection is in our opinion often neglected by chefs when they create meal experiences. Aesthetical communication in this context refers to the retelling of a dish’s or a meal’s beauty, or non-beauty, by connecting to the guest’s personal back pack (Korsmeyer 1999). It is the restaurant’s job to create this retelling (Carlsen 2003). But how does a restaurant achieve this?
The retelling can be divided into two parts; the non-verbal and the verbal. The non-verbal part includes factors such as symbols, forms, or other aesthetical approaches. The verbal part includes factors such as an articulation of the idea or history behind the dish. The articulation is not a very long explanation of the dish’s origin or production. It is only told if the story makes a difference for the guest´s experience. Aesthetical communication aims to inspire new reflections, thoughts, and ideas. In this process, the guest might experience pleasure or disgust by forms or symbols in the dish, or the context in which it is served, and thereby experience a change of values that might affect the final judgement of the meal experience (Carlsen 2003).
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION
Figure 4: Picture of the ashtray serving. A homage to Rasmus Munk’s Grandmother, who died from lungcancer, and who loved the danish dish "Burning Love". The Ashtray is very similar in flavour and ingredients, but the form and story gives a reminder of the consequences of smoking. Photo: Søren Gammelmark Photography.
An example of a dish that at first glance brought forth disgust was a dish named “The Ashtray” that was served at Alchemist in 2017. The dish resembled an ashtray filled to the rim with what appeared to be cigarette ashes. However, the content of the metal ashtray was a classical Danish dish called “Burning Love”, consisting mostly of mashed potatoes, fried bacon and melted butter. Besides being rich in umami and flavours of comfort, “Burning Love” was also Rasmus Munk’s grandmother’s favourite dish. She died from lung cancer a few years back after a lifetime of smoking, and so “The Ashtray” is both a homage to her and a reminder of the consequences of smoking. Guests were thus not explicitly lectured about whether smoking is or is not good for you. However, the question was often posed in the conversations that followed. For others, the flavours simply stirred up memories connecting the dish to the content of each guest’s back pack. The quote below highlights how a diner might experience this aspect of Holistic Cuisine at Alchemist:
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION “Prepare yourself for a gastronomic fairytale when entering into the restaurant. Your journey through the 45 courses the meal lasts is above your imagination. Both your personal and emotional boundaries will be pushed. Let the Rasmus Munk Magic bedazzle you......Bon appetite” – Cathrine Fogel, Copenhagen (Unpublished, Facebook 2016)
Focus beyond the plate The motivation for formulating Holistic Cuisine came from a desire to articulate the approach cultivated at Alchemist since its opening that extends further than techniques, (food) culture and traditions. This is a cuisine that encapsulates a holistic understanding of all the components needed in the creation of meal experiences. Rasmus Munk found that no existing cuisine was adequate or able to capture all the above-mentioned actions, responsibilities, and visions for the meal experience created at Alchemist. Therefore, Holistic Cuisine was created with the aim of making food for thought that extend beyond the plate, while also acknowledging the complexity of a total meal experience. This is a focus and experience not only concerning social and ethical perspectives, but all elements that matter in living a responsible life, embedded in pleasure (or meaningful disgust).
References Carlsen, H.B., 2003. Taste as a matter of pedagogical concern, in: Bäckstöm, P., Johansson, T.D., (Eds.), Sense and Senses in Aesthetics. Finland: NSU Press, Uppsala. Coelho, P., 2015. The Alchemist, 25th anniversary ed. HarperCollins, London. Edwards, J.S.A., Gustafsson, I.B., 2008. The Five Aspects Meal Model. Journal of Foodservice. 19(1), 4–12. https://doi-org.ep.fjernadgang.kb.dk/10.1111/j.1745-4506.2007.00075.x Korsmeyer, C., 1999. Making Sense of Taste, Food and Philosophy. 1st ed. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, N.Y. Meiselman, H.L.L., 2008a. Dimensions of the Meal. Journal of Foodservice. 19(1), 13-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-4506.2008.00076.x. Meiselman, H.L.L., 2008b. Experiencing food products within a physical and social context. Product Experience. Elsevier Ltd. 559–580. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-045089-6.50027-7
Gastro-Science-Chef 2018 OPINION
Muñoz, F., Hildebrandt, A., Schacht, A., Stürmer, B., Bröcker, F., Martín-Loeches, M., Sommer, W., 2018. What Makes the Hedonic Experience of a Meal in a Top Restaurant Special and Retrievable in the Long Term? Meal-related, Social and Personality Factors. Appetite. 125, 454-465. https://doiorg/10.1016/j.appet.2018.02.024
Rozin, P., 2015. Disgust, Psychology of:. In: James D. Wright (editor-in-chief), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd ed., 6, Oxford: Elsevier. 546-549.
Fischler, C., 1988. Food, Self and Identity. Social Science Information/sur les sciences sociales, 27, Pp.275-292. https://doi-org/10.1177/053901888027002005.
Rozin, P., & Tuorila, H., 1993. Simultaneous and temporal contextual influences on food choice. Food quality and preference, 4, 11-20.
Sobal, J.A., Bisogni, C. A. M., Devine C. M., Jastran, M., 2006. A Conceptual Model of the Food Choice Process over the Life Course. In: Shepherd, R., Raats, M. (Eds.), The Psychology of Food Choice, CABI Publishing, New York, pp.1-18. https://doi-org/10.1079/9780851990323.0001
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