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Ento insect patés at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste
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At Grey Goose's food futures event this week, guests tried out grasshopper paté, powdered olive and funeral biscuits, as the premium vodka brand launched its inaugural Iconoclasts of Taste program, which supports three leading thinkers in the field of food design and innovation.
Grey Goose's first Iconoclasts of Taste are food scientist Dr Rachel Edwards-Stuart, food experience designer Tasha Marks of Animal Vegetable Mineral, and Ento, a new brand that aims to introduce insect protein to the British food scene.
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| Dr Rachel Edward-Stuart's tasting table at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste |
The three Iconoclasts took to the stage at Grey Goose's event on Tuesday to describe their visions for food & drink, then guided guests around the flavour experiments and tasting experiences that they had each organised.
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| Ento insect patés at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste |
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| Ento insect patés at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste |
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| White chocolate and caviar by Dr Rachel Edward-Stuart at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste |
Food scientist Dr Rachel Edwards-Stuart had set up three flavour tastings for guests. Combinations of white chocolate and caviar was arranged on spoons, demonstrating a flavour pairing discovered after Heston Blumenthal's experiments led scientists to discover that the two foods shared the same aroma coding, meaning that they pair well.
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| Testing strips at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste |
A second experiment allowed guests to discover whether they were a Supertaster, by placing on their tongue a strip of paper infused with a very bitter taste. Supertasters cannot bear the taste in their mouth, and will spit the paper out, while those with less sensitive palates will taste next to no bitterness on the strip.
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| Olive powder by Dr Rachel Edward-Stuart at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste |
A third test involved eating M&Ms with your nose closed, proving how important aroma is in our sense of taste, and a final offering of powdered olive showed how switching the texture of an everyday food can change the way its taste is perceived. Ground olive has the consistency of coffee powder, and has a bitter taste.
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| Animal Vegetable Mineral funeral biscuits at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste |
Tasha Marks, founder of food event company Animal Vegetable Mineral, showcased three of her foods, which are inspired by historical art, myths and associations.
Funeral biscuits, based on a Victorian recipe and made with a wooden stamp dating to the 19th century, included caraway seeds to ward off evil.
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| Animal Vegetable Mineral's Renaissance Sherbet at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste |
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| Animal Vegetable Mineral's Renaissance Sherbet at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste |
Renaissance Sherbet is essentially a historical version of the Dip Dab, combining a dense bonfire lolly with a rosewater sherbet inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's prized rosewater cordial.
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| Animal Vegetable Mineral's tasting table at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste |
Animal Vegetable Mineral completed its display with its signature Edible Antique Prints, made by printing botanical drawings onto rice paper, and described by Marks as "art that leaves no trace."
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| Edible Antique Prints by Animal Vegetable Mineral at Grey Goose: Iconoclasts of Taste |
The three Iconoclasts have each been nominated by a panel of taste makers comprising avant-garde mixologist Tony Conigliaro, ShowStudio Shop director Carrie Scott, fashion designer Giles Deacon and chef Nuno Mendes.
They will go on to host events, pop-ups and tastings throughout the summer, supported by Grey Goose.