Explore how our sense of taste and smellinteract with each other to determine how we perceive flavour

The CLOUD was created to explore how our sense of taste and smell interact with each other to determine how we perceive flavour. The team observed that traditionally we only consume foods in two phases; solids and liquids. We pushed to engineer a way to break this constraint, and theorized what if we could enjoy our favourite dishes through another medium.

Since 2013, The CLOUD has been ahighlight for numerous events around the world. It has been featured at “BEVLAB”, an experimental beverage laboratory reimagining the future of beverage, as well as “Valley of the Moon” and “Sensorium” two unique immersive dining experiences.

The CLOUD is a tool that will allow chefs and bartenders as well as curious home cooks alike to explore the wide array of aromas contained inof their dishes and cocktails. It can be used to produce scented clouds of single aromatic compounds can also be used to create more complex flavour profiles for foods such as tomatoes. At Future Food Studio, we’ve even brought new meaning to “inhaling” our meals – hamburgers are among our favorites. With such versatility, The CLOUD makes the perfect addition to any modernist’s kitchen.

The CLOUD creates it signature vapour via ultrasonic (sound waves too fast for humans to hear) atomization of the liquid inside of the vase. In simpler terms, the water on the surface receives so much energy that it turns from liquid to gas. The atomizer is the tool which converts electricity into the ultrasonic waves causing the molecules to excite and jump to the gaseous state. It sits at the bottom of The CLOUDS vase submerged in water.

The CLOUD is surprisingly intuitive to understand and play around with. It operates on a standard 120-volt outlet and produces a cloud instantly after it has been turned on. No calibration. No manipulation. The atomizer has two settings – on and off. The LED lights located on the face of the atomizer also have a variety of pre-set colours which can be selected with the click of a button to best suit any environment. The CLOUD’s subtle glow adds a visual element to the smells produced during your immersive experience.

Smell, Taste and Flavour

Scientists believe that somewhere between 75% and 95% of our perception of flavour comes from the sense of smell (otherwise known as olfaction). Think about the last time you had a head cold, did your food seem to taste very flavourful? Probably not, no matter how much salt you added. What about when you were young, having to swallow that horrifying syrupy medicine, so your parents told you to pinch your nose? It worked pretty well right? Without even realizing it, your nose has been your best friend and worst enemy when consuming foods.

People tend to associate their descriptions of taste exclusively to sweet, sour, bitter, salty and lesser known umami. Although, most of the time, we can also discern more distinct properties from our foods (think fruity, herbal and smoky). These are called aromas (or odours), which are compounds released from the food that gets sensed by our nose receptors. Foods can greatly vary in the number of aromas they contain. For example, Cinnamaldehyde is the compound which gives cinnamon its distinct taste and smell, whereas other foods like tomatoes contain tens of aromatic compounds that define its flavour profile. Did you know that humans can detect at least 1 trillion different scents?! Compared to the just 5 taste receptors we have, it’s no wonder why some people can be picky eaters, we think it should be picky smellers!

The star of the show is what we are the most familiar with, favour. Flavour is the sensation we perceive that is a combination of both smell and taste. Its unique properties are constantly manipulated by chefs, chemists, bar tenders and home cooks to create the most resonating experience.

Recipe Examples

London Fog Ice Cream :A vanilla scented CLOUD poured over a bergamot infused earl gray ice cream

Lemon and Cherry Granita: The Sicilian classic shave ice with an addition of a cherry scented CLOUD

Smoked Hot Chocolate: A dark hot chocolate enjoyed with a smoky CLOUD. Reminiscent of summer campfires.

Tomato Soup with Basil: A basil scented CLOUD spills over the sides of a cold roasted tomato soup, with garlic confit and basil cream