Need a way to improve your dining experience? Try the AROMAFORK.
The AromaFork is a brand-new molecular gastronomical invention from the Montreal-based company Molecule-R. According to Business Wire, the gadget has aroma-releasing liquids on the fork that are activated when a person bites into their food; an effort to enhance an individual's dining experience through the sense of smell.
According to the company's website, AromaFork offers "a fascinating experience that will trick you mind and will forever change the way you perceive flavor."
"The initial idea was to reinvent the traditional fork into an improved utensil that would trick people's mind by liberating an intense flow of aromas; but we soon realized that the AROMAFORK could also become the perfect educational tool to learn how to better appreciate food!" explained Jonathan Coutu, President of MOLECULE-R Flavors Inc.
Taste buds can only recognize 5 primary tastes, sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness and umami. However, a patron's nose can detect up to a trillion smells. About 80 percent of how an individual experiences flavor comes from our sense of smell.
Liquid aroma sits under the fork's handle and "soaks through a small piece of blotting paper" to release a fragrance with every bite during the meal. The fork comes with 21 different flavors, including chocolate, coffee, vanilla, banana, lychee, passion fruit, almond, coconut, peanut, cinnamon, ginger and mint.
The gadget also comes with 50 pieces of blotting paper, four glass droppers and AromaFork. The kit is available for preorder and priced at $60.
"Combined with the taste of the food you are actually putting into your mouth, the AromaFork doubles the flavors your brain can analyze," Sophie Boivin, of Molecule-R Flavors told The Daily Meal. "By amplifying the nose's input in the tasting process, we think that the AROMAFORKTM opens up a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to flavor combinations as well as the general tasting experience."
