Magic on the Menu: Where Are All the Magical Food and Beverage Experiences?

Abstract

Magic and dining have long been popular forms of entertainment. What is more, both involve some kind of transformation, and yet while the more theatrical aspects of dining have grown in popularity in recent decades, there is a surprising paucity of magical food and beverage experiences out there. In this article, we trace the historical appearance of food and drink and culinary items in the performance of magic. We also review some of the more magical elements of food design that have appeared on menus in bars and restaurants in recent years. We introduce the edible lightbulb dish from the menu at Kitchen Theory Chef’s Table and link it to the stage magic of Derren Brown. We also discuss some of the reasons as to why magical food experiences might be rare in the context of dining. In so doing, our hope is to highlight an intriguing area for future research and innovation. Along the way, we identify some possible candidate approaches for the introduction of edible magic onto the menu in the context of modernist cuisine.

Perspectives on Multisensory Human-Food Interaction

“…(Kandinsky, 1977, p. 158; see also Marks, 1978). I would, however, argue that synaesthetic colored-taste concurrents are of little relevance for understanding blue food coloring's relevance to the regular consumer (Spence and Youssef, 2020).…”

Impossible (Food) Experiences in Extended Reality

“…While impossible experiences in XR are common in the realm of films and games (e.g., Zuo et al, 2019), these are relatively unexplored when it comes to eating. However, impossible experiences per se are not uncommon in eating (see Spence et al, 2020, for a review of magical food experiences). In the next sections, we specifically present our perspective on: 1) a model to classify and guide the design of impossible food experiences in mixed reality; 2) some examples of, and opportunities associated with, said experiences; and 3) the implications associated with them.…”