We arrived at The Crypt on the Green at St James Church eagerly awaiting the Innocent Inspires: A guide to good taste but hoping we would get inside before the heavens opened (which we just managed to). We walked into a beautifully decorated space with long white table cloth covered long tables, and were greeted with a wonderful mocktail of orange, raspberry, rose water and lime (which was just what we had needed after a long day at work). It was not too heavy on the rosewater; just a perfect hint that complemented the other fruity flavours.
During the evening they explained that it would be as if you had stepped into their kitchen and experience a sensory night out to discover everything you’ve ever wanted to know about good taste.
As we settled into our seats we were served a selection of dips and canapes from The Dip Society.
We heard from 5 amazing culinary stars ranging from within the restaurant trade through to supper club hosts/ food bloggers.
First we heard from Florence Knight, head chef at Polpetto. She talked about the affect of spices used in dishes on your taste to help enhance other flavours within a dish. We were served a peach and pepper icecream during her talk.
We were then given marmite on toast and bloody marmitey cocktails linked to the next talk.
Next we heard from Kerstin Rogers (aka Ms Marmite Lover) [ @msmarmitelover ], the underground supper club queen. She explained how hormone production/ levels are affected by different types of foods and how it will effect your taste. She particularly emphasised the point of an increase in carbohydrates during a meal will increase the production in the stomach of serotonin (a monoamine neurotransmitter that affects nerve transmission / message transfer within the central nervous system).
This was followed by food chemistry artists/ jellymongers extraordinaire, non other than Bompas and Parr. Harry (Parr) is an architect by background, hence one aspect of their breathtaking food art/ stunts. They explained that the environment has a massive impact on your enjoyment of food. Samuel (Bompas) showed us some stunning food art/ stunts that they has done with some explaining that his favourite colour was floracene, such as the nighttime picture of the floracene coloured water around HMS Belfast. At the end we were served a pyramid of raspberry, blanche base with a Pernod (Absinthe) jelly to enjoy.
During the break we tucked into chocolate dipped waffle cones with beetroot sorbet with mint and honey (again from The Dip Society).
We were given a fig to enjoy and help us to look at the psychological aspect of taste.
Next Emilie Baltz [ @emilie_baltz ] gave us an insight into the life of a transatlantic food designer, and talked to us about her award winning cookbook that looked at the relationship between food and desire. She explained that from a psychological perspective that our sensory experiences (sight, smell, sound, and especially taste) are influenced by external factors including culture, architecture and history.
Finally, Ollie Dabbous (chef-owner of the game changing Dabbous) spoke to us about his culinary journey/ career to date and what food means to him and why taste is so important to a customer’s experience. He emphasised how important it is to test out dishes regarding temperature, visual appearance, fat content and acidity, and to continually refine the dish until you get the end result you have been searching for.
Ollie’s take home message, that has stays with me to this day from that event, was to remember the ‘importance of resilience and to have no fear of failing which would allow you to achieve your potential’.
Thanks Innocent Drinks and speakers for a truly thought provoking and inspiring culinary adventure thorough different thoughts, sounds, sights, smells and tastes! Also, we enjoyed the snacks and treats provided by The Dip Society during the evening.
Twitter: @innocentdrinks #innocentinspires
Instagram: innocentsmoothies
http://www.thedipsociety.co.uk/
http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/hms-belfast
Please see our Facebook photo album for photos from this event.
About goantolondon
International food and travel blog by London based British Goan duo: Jason and Chiara Pinto.
Twitter:
@goantolondon
@jasonpinto100
@chiarapinto
About Goa:
Goa is a small state on the western coast of India. Though the smallest Indian state, Goa has played an influential role in Indian history. Goa was one of the major trade centers in India, thus it had always been attracting the influential dynasties, seafarers, merchants, traders, monks and missionaries since its earliest known history. Throughout its history Goa has undergone continual transformation, leaving an indelible impression on various aspects of its cultural and socio-economic development.
History of Goa:
The East-West symbiosis of Goa makes it different from other parts of India, more than the historical and social niche. The history of Goa is a sweet and sour story of colonial heritage, oppressive rulers, a glorious culture, and uneventful immediate past.
As a land with the identity of its own, Goa was brought into focus when it was liberated of Portugal from its oppressive rule of around 450 hundred years in 1961. Goa was captured and annexed to the Portuguese in 1510 following the urges of trade and demand of spices and also cottons and indigo. But, Goa has a history that starts much before Portugal even thought of Goa being where it is.
Goa was coveted and ruled by a great number of Indian kingdoms and dynasties from the 4th century onwards. The first kingdom to rule Goa and Konkan were Bhojas, who were the feudatories of Ashoka in 4th and 5th centuries AD. The city of Chandrapur (present Chandor) was founded by Prince Chandraditya, son of Chalukya King Pulakesin from 566 to 597 A.D. after this, Goa was ruled consecutively by Silahara Dynasty, Kadamba Danasty, and finally Hoysalas from 1022 to 1342 A.D.
From the 14th century onwards, Goa became a great trading center on the west coast, especially in the vast trade of horses imported from the Middle East. This was the time for bigger empires to move in and Vijayanagar Empire conquered it in 1344. But there empire was not going to last too long and in 1347, Bahmani Sultans defeated Vijayanagara forces in 1347 and controlled Goa. Afterwards, it was a time of great prosperity and peace for Gpa, especially during the rules of Yusuf Adil Shah and Ismail Adil Shah. They created beautiful houses, fortified Goa, and encouraged local craftsmen. Their liberal and progressive rule was not going to last too long and situation changed in 1510 A.D.
Goa for all purposes was not on the Portuguese Radar even after a long time of their presence in India. When the Portuguese nobleman Alfonso de Albuquerque and his cousin Francisco de Albuquerque were sent with a powerful fleet in 1503 on the orders of King Dom Manuel I, the purpose was to defend the cargoes of spices, mostly pepper, against Arab Muslim raiders.
The center of spice trade was Calicut at that time and Portuguese had built forts in Cochin and Cannanore. It was in 1506-08 that an opportunistic pirate, Timoja, persuaded Albuquerque to attack Goa and acquire a better land base. This made Goa, Portugal's first real territorial acquisition in Asia. After a brief period of recapturing by the Muslims, Goa Albuquerque finally captured Goa in 1510.
The inquisition of Goa in 1540 reversed the previous liberal policy of Albuquerque and imposed strict censorship of literature and new laws to forbade non-Christians from professions. Forced conversions took place continuously, censorship was established on literature, the temples were destroyed, and non-Christian priests, holy men, and teachers were evicted. This led to continuous fleeing of Hindus from Goa to other parts of India.
It is not that the relationship with Portugal brought only destruction for the Goans. Portuguese also built great churches like the church of St. Cajetan and Bom Jesus basilica in Old Goa, which is a pilgrimage site for the Christians from around the world. But it is also true that pre-1961; Goa was a highly impoverished region very backward and primitive. It is after the liberation that Goa of today has emerged and it has surprised even the locals many of whom had left their homeland before its liberation. Portugal and India are today friends and Goa continues to be a fascinating blend of Latin and Oriental.
Information sourced from:
http://www.royalorienttrain.com/goa/goa-history.html
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