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Edible Dirt, Anyone?

  • Marlon Mata
  • March 23, 2011

You might wonder how far chefs would go to convince you that their food is fresh, so don’t be surprised if you get served with a plate of tender cooked vegetables on top of a bed of “dirt”. Yes, you heard me right. I’m talking about a not-so-new trend of some culinary chefs that put an emphasis on the “garden-fresh”image of cooking.

I say it’s not new because the technique has been around years ago. Perhaps the first person to use this is the famous French chef Michel Bras in 1978. He had been inspired by the beauty of the French countryside, which moved him to create dishes that reflect the imagery he’s seen. He would often use various seasonal vegetables and flowers and then scatter them on top of a plate of “dirt”made from brioche crumbs, dried black olives, and tomato powder.

In 2006, Chef Rene Redzepi pushed it a little further by serving baby radishes buried in edible dirt. What makes is different is that he served the dish in a real flowerpot. Many chefs like David Kinch, Daniel Patterson, Dominique Crenn, Jeremy Fox, Michael Voltaggio, among others, have also embraced this culinary artform. The ingredients used for the “dirt”may vary, from coffee to black olives, but the concept remains the same: the dish should inspire the feeling of being in a garden.

It is a culinary technique that pushes the limits of a chef’s creative power. After all, it is not easy to think up of the perfect combination of powders to complement a salad or a simple pickle dish. The taste must be right, the color must complement the dish well, and the presentation should be pleasing to the eyes of diners.

Edible Dirt, Anyone?Done correctly, dishes garnished with edible dirt would surely please the diners’ senses. It may sound a bit strange for some to eat something presented in that way, but for the adventurous, it would certainly be a rewarding experience.

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