The Museum of Food and Drinks has recently opened its first show in its new space in Brooklyn. Titled as, "Flavor: Making It and Faking It", the exhibit does not waste time and tells everyone upfront what it wants to convey.
Upon entering, there's a large free standing panel near the entrance that has large letters forming the question, "What makes your favourite food so delicious?" Then a one word answer, "Chemicals".
Now the answer may sound deflating; however, this makes a lot of sense. As reported in The New York Times, flavours come in two varieties, the natural and artificial ones. However, what do these words mean? This is the question that will hover in the minds of those who will go to the first food and culture exhibit on Wednesday. The Museum of Food and Drinks has been free-floating until now and the show will feature history of laboratory created flavours as far as the middle of 19th century. Germans scientists are said to create artificial vanilla which until now is being used. The culinary spin doctors were known as flavorists who tweak and blend myriad of flavours that are found in virtually every food product across supermarket shelves.
As part of the show, there are several smell machines throughout the exhibit that emits specific aromas though silver hoses at one push of a button. Visitors then get to learn for example that coffee gets a little lift from a sulphur compound that is also found in skunk spray that makes it irresistible in the morning.
Vanilla which used to be rare and a highly expensive flavour extracted from a bean of a Mexican orchid, is now a staple in every household. Organic chemists found a way how to extract its chemical twin, vanillin, from pine barks. However, handful experiments show that this chemical can also be found in petrochemical compound, clove oil, paper waste and rice bran.
This is just two of the many displays they have waiting for you on Wednesday at the Museum of Food and Drink. This is an exhibition that is not just hands-on, but also involves your taste buds and sense of smell. So if you want to learn more about what makes your food tasty, go and visit the first exhibit as it opens Wednesday.