Kristen Baumlier

Our eyesight triggers our taste buds, working with our other senses.  So what happens when we stop using our sense of sight when we eat?  Dans Le Noir (In the Dark) is a series of restaurants that is a unique sensory experience, where diners eat in complete darkness.

When ordering, diners do not choose set entrees, but rather share with the guide (who is also the server) what type of foods they do not eat or are allergic too.  Before being guided to the eating area, visitors must place all bags, phones, lighters, and coats into a locker.  When the table is ready, diners are led to the dining room by their guide. At the restaurant, over 40% of the servers or guides have disabilities, and usually are blind.

In an interview I watched about the restaurant, one of the founders talked about how the experience provides several three unique experiences.   The first is the unique culinary experience, where diners use taste, touch, and smell instead of sight to experience food.  The second is a social experience.  At the restaurant, there is no single table, so diners are seated with others that they do not know.  In the dark, people talk and get to know strangers while eating in the dark.   The third is providing an experience that is similar to what others who are blind experience.  Eating dinner in the dark is an old idea used by various associations of blind people since the mid-nineteenth century to educate families and loved ones about visual impairment.

Over 75-855 of the information sent to our brain is visual.  Diners who have eaten at the restaurant report that they are not sure what they are eating, and often find out later that they were eating something different than what they perceived.

The food is spread out on plates, rather than being built up, or served in usual decorative arrangements.  In the interview that I read, the diner ate tomato with mozzarella, a Spanish smoked paprika potato and octopus, fried ravioli  filled with braised duck.  For dessert there was walnut bread pudding with orange bourbon butter sauce, lavender pana cotta and mango mouse with braised pineapple chunks.  She reported that she was able to recognize spices, but did not recognize some of the meats or types of foods.

The first Dans Le Noir restaurant opened in Paris in 2004, and was able to seat 57 people in its “dark room.”  It was founded and funded by Edouard de Broglie, a specialist in innovation and social responsibility with the help of a friend, Etienne Boisrond, former president of Young & Rubicam Europe.  They also worked Paul Guinot, who is blind, to develop the restaurant.

More restaurants were later created in London and Barcelona.    Today there are 5 restaurants, and others that are more temporary projects.  There was one in New York that was open for over two years, and served over 10,000 people.

I found it interesting to watch some interviews and videos about the restaurants.  Ones that featured the eating experience in London or at the New York restaurant, were interesting to see.

 

Image Source:
www.danslenoir.com/

 

Links:

www.danslenoir.com/

Video – Dans le Noir? In London

Video – Dans le Noir? In New York

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently I have noticed an increase in public events and workshops that focus on foraging and finding edible food that grows wild.  Last year at some of the farmer markets I went to I saw purslane, dandelion leaves, and wild onions for sale.

Since I have been in the Durham the past couple of days, I have sometimes smelled a sweet smell which comes from blooming honeysuckle.  Honeysuckle is edible and in season, and can be used in desserts and drinks.  The flowers can be added to maple syrup or honey and used for pancakes, waffles and toast.  Someone told me about a local ice cream shop that makes honeysuckle ice cream this time of year. I  tried tasting the honey of the flower (a 8 year old boy showed me how) and could taste a subtle sweet flavor.

This week in Pittsboro, NC there is a Full Moon Forage and Wild Feast, where attendees can learn how to find edible plants and how to use them to create a meal. The menu includes wild greens salad topped with wild flowers & homemade dressing; amaranth & acorn crust pizza; savory wild greens frittata; honeysuckle flower dessert & herbal tea. At the dinner you learn how to find the ingredients, get the recipes, and also eat the food.

The acorn crust that is listed at the meal peaked my interest, and I found a webpage that gives directions on how to make acorn flour. It sounds pretty simple but is a number of steps:   forage, grind, soak, filter, and dry.  Acorns are actually very nutritious and are good sources of protein, carbohydrates and fats, as well as the minerals calcium and phosphorus.  Acorns can be used to make bread, crusts, or to thicken soups.

The first  wild food and herb market in the United States opened in Carrboro, NC on March 10th, 2013.  The Wild Food + Herb Market takes place one Sunday afternoon each month from March through November from 1­‐4 PM.   The next market is on June 2^nd, and there is a long list of vendors and educational organizations who will be in attendance.  The market is a place to buy, sell, trade, and meet others who are interested in wild foods and herbs.

Wild food is divided into several groups; wild edibles, medicinal herbs, mushrooms, and tress.  Some of the wild foods that I have tried so far include dandelion, wild strawberries, violets, sumac, garlic, lemon balm, honeysuckle, and morel mushrooms.  Next to where I am living there is a forest, not sure what I can find to eat there, but I plan to attend the next Wild Food + Herb market and learn more, and to try eating the honeysuckle again.

Image Source:
theabundancefoundation.org/wild-food-herb-market

Links:

www.wikihow.com/Make-Acorn-Flour

theabundancefoundation.org/wild-food-herb-market

www.abundancehealingarts.com/events.html