Have Your Cake & Eat It, Too – With No Regrets or Repercussions!

Sound too good to be true? Well, actually it is – but virtually it’s not. And soon – Project Nourished plans to serve-up its multi-course fantasy fare at Pop-Up tastings in Los Angeles, California.

This delicious idea began brewing over dinner last fall when Jinsoo An (http://www.jinsooan.com) and friends were reminiscing over the sumptuous feast Peter Pan conjured in his mind in the version of the movie Jinsoo remembered from his childhood. A few day’s later, when his stepfather mentioned his regret over the foods he would have to forego on account of diabetes, Jinsoo was animated into action.

Jinsoo is founder of Kokiri Labs – “a playground and think tank for designing, researching and prototyping innovative wearable devices,” and Project Nourishment is just their latest endeavor. Here’s how they sum up their intention for it: “By merging the physicality of molecular gastronomy with virtual reality, we can finally enjoy any food we want in a whole new way.”

When everything is up and running, ‘dinner guests’ will be able to dine in an environment of their choice – with a flick of their finger via Virtual Reality. And the foods they choose will visually simulate unfettered indulgence free of guilt and consequences. The virtual experience will also texturally and aromatically replicate the experience of eating all those irresistible foods you know you should avoid but just can’t.

“By isolating various flavor compounds and recreating their taste and textural profiles – coupled with virtual reality and aromatic diffusion – we can mimic a surprisingly broad spectrum of foods,” says Jinsoo. The use of hydrocolloid polymers and gums, derived from algae, seaweed, fruits, and vegetable, etc., will allow ‘diners’ to both wallow in and swallow up their culinary fantasies.

Besides offering unalloyed gustatory pleasures, Kokiri Lab envisions the application of their virtual creations to help solve the epidemic of eating disorders and the craving for foods that generate disease and allergic reactions. They also foresee a time in the not too distant future when customers with VR Goggles – and access to a 3-D printer – will be able to purchase Kokiri’s menus as downloadable files and bring them ‘to life’ with the aid of refillable cartridges.

How long will you have to wait to finally satisfy your insatiable cravings? Kokiri Labs is taking small steps to meet its big goals. So, check out their web site, email your encouragement, and sign-up to receive their updates. And until they’re up and running, you might want to try what Peter Pan did – and conjure in your mind the experience of eating every delicious thing you can imagine …. in virtually unlimited quantities.