SYNAESTHESIA BY KITCHEN THEORY

SYNAESTHETIC DINING

Imagine a world where sound has colour, colour has flavour, or numbers are unique personalities you know well. If any of these concepts are familiar to you, chances are you may have synaesthesia.

n 2015 we hosted our exciting series of educational and multi-sensory dining pop-up events Synaesthesia by Kitchen Theory. The sensory dinners consisted of an experimental seven course modernist meal which incorporated sensory audio-visual aids, intricately designed dishes and the collaboration of knowledge from academic experts in the field of sensory perception and synaesthesia. Catering for only 14 guests an evening, these intimate events delivered a fun insight into the world of synaesthesia – the neurological phenomenon which cross connects the senses and is thought to affect three per cent of the population. Guests were taken through a journey of stimulation, information, amusement and delight.

For this event series, Kitchen Theory collaborated with Professor Charles Spence and his team at the Cross-modal department of Oxford University, Sean Day, President of American Synesthesia Association, and Richard E. Cytowic, MD MFA, Neurologist and author of ‘Wednesday is Indigo Blue’, to understand this phenomenon and deliver an informative and interactive dining event of sensory discovery.

THE MENU

  • 4 Tastes – The taste of colour
  • Bouba & Kiki – The flavour of & sound of shapes
  • Marinetti – Cubist Vegetable Patch
  • Betty Effron’s Hidden Passion – A Word Play
  • Give Weight To It -The weight and density of taste
  • Believe Nothing of What You Hear – tastes of sound

Our founder and Chef Patron, Jozef Youssef, combined his experience of working at some of London’s top restaurants, his artistic vision and creative flair as well as incorporating modernist cooking methods from his book ‘Molecular Gastronomy at Home.’ The culmination of this expertise resulted in developing a menu focusing on remarkable flavours, textures, colours, aromas and temperatures. Synaesthesia – the intriguing phenomenon stimulating our sensory experiences – This dining experience paved the path of sensory discovery where the worlds of psychology, neurology and science combined with gastronomy to guarantee education, inspiration and thought.

Client:
QodeInteractive
Date:

February 15, 2023