Published Papers & Journals
The holistic cuisine is an interdisciplinary work in gastronomy to understand food and gastronomic experiences in different ways. It encompasses different fields and knowledge from natural to social science. This concept created by Rasmus Munk, the chef from Alchemist restaurant in Copenhagen, shows how different fields can work together. Inspired in the concept of alchemy, the chef brings a new vision of gastronomy, understanding the world holistically. Since alchemists tried out to distill light from fireflies, the chemiluminescence phenomenon has been intensively studied by scientist nowadays. It can be defined as the emission of light resulting by chemical reaction between a protein called luciferin and an enzyme called luciferase. Many different microor- ganisms have the capacity to produce light, like the Dinoflagellates, Pyrocistys lunula (algae). This study measured the capacity of this algae to grow at two different temperatures. It was found that at 21C, pH 7 and 35% of salinity was the optimum conditions for the highest growth. Searching for the highest luminosity of the algae by acoustic wave stimulation, it was found that at 18 Hz, algae showed the most. Curiously, 18 Hz appears to be one of the frequencies in which the musical note G is emitted. To see the effect of the blue bioluminescence emitted by applying the musical note G, it was measured the emotional response of a bioluminescent experience. The sensory analysis showed how the blue light evoke curiosity, expectancy, interest, surprise, or admiration. Blue light might be used in a gastronomic experience due to the emotions that evoke, but also in other applications in order to handle emotional challenges and regulate mood over time.
The holistic cuisine is an interdisciplinary work in gastronomy to understand food and gastronomic experiences in different ways. It encompasses different fields and knowledge from natural to social science. This concept created by Rasmus Munk, the chef from Alchemist restaurant in Copenhagen, shows how different fields can work together. Inspired in the concept of alchemy, the chef brings a new vision of gastronomy, understanding the world holistically. Since alchemists tried out to distill light from fireflies, the chemiluminescence phenomenon has been intensively studied by scientist nowadays. It can be defined as the emission of light resulting by chemical reaction between a protein called luciferin and an enzyme called luciferase. Many different microor- ganisms have the capacity to produce light, like the Dinoflagellates, Pyrocistys lunula (algae). This study measured the capacity of this algae to grow at two different temperatures. It was found that at 21C, pH 7 and 35% of salinity was the optimum conditions for the highest growth. Searching for the highest luminosity of the algae by acoustic wave stimulation, it was found that at 18 Hz, algae showed the most. Curiously, 18 Hz appears to be one of the frequencies in which the musical note G is emitted. To see the effect of the blue bioluminescence emitted by applying the musical note G, it was measured the emotional response of a bioluminescent experience. The sensory analysis showed how the blue light evoke curiosity, expectancy, interest, surprise, or admiration. Blue light might be used in a gastronomic experience due to the emotions that evoke, but also in other applications in order to handle emotional challenges and regulate mood over time.
The Pinaceae family has traditionally been used as medicine, resorted to as a famine food and for ornamental purposes as Christmas trees. In the last few years numerous restaurants have been using different species of Pinaceae family as a garnish or an aromatic spice, using them in different culinary applications like oils and infusions to flavor dressings and broths. Abies grandis (Grand fir), Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir), Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) and Picea abies (Norway spruce) were researched on taxonomy, habitats and non-edible uses, culinary traditions, health and nutritional properties, aroma profile. The main compounds in Pinaceae family are monoterpenes, oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, oxygenate sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and hydrocarbons, especially α-β-pinene, limonene, α-terpinene, and even bornyl acetate, responsible for aroma compounds such as citrusy-, woody-, herbal-, or piney aromas. Modern gastronomy uses, sensory analysis and culinary applications were applied for demonstrating the possibilities on modern culinary application in this novel yet traditional spice.
Paralithodes camtschaticus (red king crab) is an introduced species in the Barents Sea. Nowadays it is considered invasive, representing a potential threat to the ecosystems. In Norway, the red king crab catch has increased from 50 tons to 1906 tons from 2004 to 2011. As it is almost exclusively the legs of the red king crab that are commercially used, around 32% of the crab is discarded. This means 351 tons of waste during this eight-year period, an amount that will only increase in the next few years. Taking this environmental problem into consideration, the king crab abdominal flap, a common waste product in the king crab industry, has been used as an example to analyze the nutritional value and heavy metal content. The results show that the content of lead (<0.01 mg/kg), cadmium (0.0986 mg/kg) and mercury (0.0163 mg/kg) is below the concentrations established by EFSA (0.5 mg/kg). Also, the concentration of macronutrients was compared to standard king crab legs where the protein accounts for 14.6 g per 100g, fat for 0.5 g and carbohydrates for 0.6 g. Mineral compounds such as potassium, phosphorus, and sodium have been found in high concentrations in comparison to king crab leg samples. According to a sensory analysis, there are significant differences between the abdominal flap and leg, but the abdominal flap has been accepted by consumers averaging 6 points on the hedonic scale. In addition, male testers appreciated the flavor more than female testers in all the samples, but without any preferences between samples (variances were the same). Finally, when comparing cooking methods, pan searing has been concluded to be the best method to cook the abdominal flap, as it enhances the texture, aroma, and flavor, followed by cooking it sous-vide and pan seared and lastly just sous vide. The differences in flavor are due to the compounds generated during each process. Our culinary application study shows that this product is completely acceptable as a new ingredient, even for fine dining restaurants.
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.
Food preservation and waste management are challenges that concern astronauts living in space habitats, and for deep space travel. This research presents fermentation as a food waste management system in space. It is one of the oldest forms of food preservation, and this ancient technique can be harnessed for life-support in space in addition to its Earth-based benefits. Fermentation is the transformation of food by microorganisms, and this process can be used to help manage waste by preserving the nutritional value of fresh ingredients, repurposing food waste, and growing new food and targeted nutrients. This study will focus on the optimization of fermentation in enclosed space environments with near term benefits. A prototype for a miniaturized fermentation chamber will be developed to control and capture data on fermented food products for the purpose of waste management. The chamber will be equipped with sensors to collect environmental data including radiation, temperature, humidity, pressure, gas, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and a carbon dioxide reading (CO2), and observable visual changes. Expanding on existing space-ready food technologies, it will be designed for possible future deployments and integration into the International Space Station (ISS). In addition to the hardware, we are developing new applications for space food products and novel recipes based on fermentation. A prototype for this research has already been developed and tested. In this initial experiment, a sample of miso (nutrient-rich fermented soybean paste) was sent to the ISS for a 30 days internal mission, and compared to control samples on the ground. The samples were contained in individual chambers equipped with the above listed sensors. Through this continuing experiment and an evolution of hardware platforms, we aim to learn what ecological changes may have occurred within the populations of bacterian and fungi, and to develop a standardized process and set of tools for space fermentation. This paper presents a hardware-focused recap of phase I (the initial ISS experiment) and describes the current prototype approach and planning status for phase II (an expanded, environmentally-controlled fermentation chamber).
In recent years, environmentally focused debates have paid increasing attention to the growing world population and the simultaneous meat consumption. Sourcing sustainable food – particularly protein – presents one of the great challenges of the future, and, subsequently, numerous scientific projects are dedicated to studying ways through which this can be sourced. Entomophagy (the consumption of insects) is not a new phenomenon for the human species, which has long enjoyed the proteins present in many insects, many of which are considered invasive species, especially in Europe. One such – the Pieris rapae, more commonly known as the cabbage but- terfly – causes a lot of damage to cabbages every year, which has led to economic losses to Brassicaceae fields around Europe. The objective of this project has been to study the Pieris rapae as a potential new source of protein, while considering the role of neophobia in Western culture and what possible acceptance consumers might reach in terms of consuming butterflies. This study demonstrates that the cabbage butterfly contains a high concentration of protein, as the nutritional analysis has found a concentration of 27.70% protein and 66.4% water. Moreover, the concentration of heavy metals is found to be insignificant when compared to the con- centration maximum established for different kinds of food by the European Union. This study likewise dem- onstrates that consumers, even when they are not overly willing to try new foods, generally like the taste of butterflies. This study has taken into consideration cultural contexts and what influences such might have on consumer perceptions. The sensory analysis has been carried out by two tests; one measuring neophobia and one how much consumers liked the food. This analysis was conducted with two different cultural backgrounds, with one group of participants being Danish and one being Spanish. It found that, overall, Danish participants were more willing to try new foods, while Spanish participants generally liked the taste of the food better (grading 1 point higher than the Danes on a 9-point hedonic scale). These results work as a starting point from which to introduce certain insects into Western culture and diets. In terms of flavor, appearance, and texture, insects, such as butterflies, have a vast array of attributes that make them a ready source of protein for both private and professional kitchens.
The Pinaceae family has traditionally been used as medicine, resorted to as a famine food and for ornamental purposes as Christmas trees. In the last few years numerous restaurants have been using different species ofPinaceae family as a garnish or an aromatic spice, using them in different culinary applications like oils and infusions to flavor dressings and broths. The main compounds in Pinaceae family are monoterpenes, oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, oxygenate sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and hydrocarbons, especially α-β-pinene, limonene, α-terpinene, and even bornyl acetate, responsible for aroma compounds such as citrusy-, woody-, herbal-, or piney aromas. According to the bibliography of the aroma compounds, 33 different attributes were chosen for a sensory analysis with the goal of relating the attributes to the different Pinaceae samples. The statistical method Check-all-that-apply (CATA) was used to perform this research, and a parametric test was made for the first and second experiment, respectively. The attributes acidic, dark and light color, intense flavor, grapefruit flavor and citrus flavor presented a significant difference between samples. According to a corre- spondence analysis, citrus, intense, and grapefruit flavor attributes are related to Abies grandis, while dark color and even bitterness is related with Pseudotsuga menziesii. Finally, Picea abies is related to light color and sweetness. According to the CATA results an ice cream and a cocktail were developed to carry out the second experiment.
Since there was no significant difference between the samples, the p-value being higher than the significance level (p = 0.05), the null hypothesis was accepted (the variances are identical). Despite that, when it came to an average liking, Abies grandis obtained a slightly higher score, followed by Picea abies and Pseudotsuga menziesii. This research thus gives a clearer idea about how to use these 3 types of Pinaceae family according to their sensory characteristics.
Fermentation is a powerful tool for enhancing flavor, improving sustainability, and expanding creative possibilities in the kitchen. However, most fermentations done in gastronomic contexts are restricted to a small set of readily available microbial species. Expanding beyond this limited biological diversity holds promise to unlock new gastronomic innovation. Here, we explore novel culinary applications of Neurosporaintermedia, an edible fungus traditionally used in Java, Indonesia to produce the fermented food oncom. Our work demonstrates that N. intermedia can be readily used in the production of oncom-like meat alternatives with non-traditional substrates, as well as in the production of enzymes for starch-to-sugar conversion. As an example, we harness secreted N. intermedia starch-degrading enzymes to produce an amazake that has a distinct volatile aroma composition compared to traditional amazake produced with Aspergillus oryzae. In addition to providing texture and flavor, N. intermedia can be used to add an orange color to dishes due to the development of brightly colored spores and aerial mycelia. This property, along with its secreted enzymes, was utilized to create a dish for fine-dining restaurant Alchemist in Copenhagen, Denmark. Overall, the novel foods produced in this study were rated favorably in consumer trials, indicating a broad sensory appeal of N. intermedia across different culinary applications and cultural contexts. The protocols and approaches presented in this study represent a new addition to the chef’s toolbox that hold promise to expand gastronomic possibilities with fermentation in restaurants and beyond.
Can emotions make your drink taste sweeter, bitterer, or more sour? Previous laboratory studies show that incidental emotions – emotions that are unrelated to the situation at hand – can influence taste perception. For example, people who recall a happy memory before tasting food may find it sweeter than after recalling a sad memory. However, outside of the confines of the laboratory, little research has examined how integral emotions – emotions that are directly tied to the situation at hand – can be used to shape consumers’ experiences. We recruited 231 participants for a drink-tasting session at Copenhagen’s Alchemist restaurant, where dining is accompanied by a 360-degree immersive visual experience projected into a dome ceiling. Unbeknownst to the participants, there were only two different drinks (one kombucha and one water kefir) that participants tasted each twice, while immersive scenes designed to elicit positive or negative feelings were projected. Results showed that the same beverage tasted less sweet and more bitter and sour when accompanied by an unpleasant emotional scene. These findings demonstrate that emotions, when elicited as part of a real-world multisensory gastronomic experience, can shape our taste perceptions.
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