"We eat first with our eyes. If the food doesn't look appealing, it detracts from the whole experience." Wisely said by Apicius, we must satisfy one of the most influential human senses in the 21st century: sight. Why? Every Instagram post, photo taken, likes received greatly shapes our perception, compromising firsthand preferences. One of the clearest examples of this phenomenon is edible food decoration, the art of transforming ordinary meals into visually stunning creations that are as beautiful as they are delicious.
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Now, I'm not talking about fruits and vegetable cut up into hearts, stars, flowers stuck onto birthday cakes or a fancy platter, yet innovations curated from timelessness, nostalgia, and a specific eye for elegance.
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Take for example ribbon candy, inhabiting the looks of ribbons yet curled to one's heart's desire. This confectionary delicately weaves colours between a range of palettes, a perfect example of how experimentation can sometimes lead to the most eye-catching details.
Now, a personal favourite, I remember the time when me and my peer had utilized edible flowers to elevate the look of our dish --- king oyster mushroom scallops for our live food exhibition. Looking ornamental, they made something edible replicate an inability to eat, seemingly out of reach to devour.
Another preference, gold & silver leaves, which again compare dishes and desserts to those which are luxury, limited, and bespoken. Refining traditional fondant and toppings, they transform something to seem priceless, all the more worth the purchase and experience. And suddenly, the dessert doesn't just become sweet but allows you to savour it.
With a sprinkle of imagination, childhood joy, and laughter edible bubbles made from sugar now used in molecular gastronomy can be seen apart of these plates. As you dig in, a sense of wonder, personal experiences would captivate your mind. Resembling the bubbles we all used to blow at some part of our child years, their fragility makes them more inviting, and instead of admiring the soapy spheres in the air, they can be eaten.
Thin edible paper used for refining, shaping, and tying the loose ends of the pastry, wafer paper decorations are sheets of pure bliss, disappearing the minute you place them on your tongue. Disregarding its delicacy, it distinguishes itself through its versatility in terms of being folded into ribbons, cut into shapes, or layered to add an almost weightless surface.
Photo: Unsplash
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Having such imposed on your plate transform the assortment into a story told through texture, emotion, and colour Why this is not used so often? Perhaps we consider its beauty and presence temporary, misunderstand its fragility for weakness, but the future begs to differ. Eatable garnishes eliminate the use for non-biodegradable packaging, and beyond aesthetics, they can be filled with probiotics and antioxidants. Widening consumer appeal, the global food decoration and inclusions market is valued at USD 7.60 billion, scaling rapidly toward USD 10.10 billion, thanks it its primary drivers for voluminous sales.
Morally, it teaches us that beauty is not always meant to be preserved, that it is more accessible than we think, considering its widescale availability. Moreover, it also reflects personality, and invokes self-creation into finding ways to recreate such. Just as a single bite can eradicate the indication of a wafer paper, joy and laughter can be often interim, and it is up to us if we need it permanently. Yet its impact stays long after the final bite, giving a sense of achievement, satisfaction and belonginess for some, and for others, a connection with the present, or an ageless way to escape.