One of the most welcoming trends in modern culinary world is the emergence of tasting menu. These are small portions of food – often displaying the chef’s comfort zone or a shift from it- and served within a 4- 20 course meal. With small portions, alcohol pairings, fresh seasonal ingredients, and a built-in narrative about the meal, the tasting menu has gained prominence among food connoisseurs. Two biggest assets of this trend are that is provides you the gourmet luxury comfort while eating; and most importantly reduces food wastage. While on face value this may seem very lucrative, there are more secrets than you could have imagined.
Here’s a quick run through of five facets of a tasting menu that no one draws your attention to.
What are you paying for? When you talk about a tasting menu, what you pay for is very different from a regular menu. Apart from the food and service, you also pay for the narrative, the curation and the concept. While it is comparatively easy to curate a regular menu, it is difficult to draw one’s attention by creating a narrative that joins each course in a tasting menu. It may seem like small portions but there is a larger backstory to it which takes months to perfect. So, technically, you are not just paying for the flavour but also the effort.
Filling or not filling: As mentioned earlier, tasting menu doesn’t comprise larger portions. But is pays attention to minor details like multiple flavours in each course, palate texture, presentation of the course on the plates and much more. This may either leave you tummy full (after all the courses), or render you ‘still hungry’ due to the smaller portions. Sometimes, you may end up in the dilemma of feeling hungry but not knowing what to eat to satiate your hunger after a multiple-course meal, causing you considerable unease.
Thoughtful menu: No matter how much one talks about seasonal ingredients, one need to know that planning begins months prior to the tasting table is organised. Thus, the curation takes place considering when and where the table will be organised, what the seasonal ingredients will be at that point in time, and more. Further, sourcing of hyper local ingredients or spices take longer than you think. Hence, tasting menus are not spontaneous. It takes months of preparation. However, there is always some scope of spot improvisation in case the flavours aren’t adding up or some ingredients aren’t working out. Moreover, at times, guests, while reservation, mention specific allergies or discomfort, and chefs try to consider the same and tweak the original course as per guest demands.
You do not just taste food: Have you ever thought while enjoying a tasting menu you are not just tasting food but also getting a glimpse of culture, trends, status and psychology. Many times, these menus present deconstructed dishes of very popular items. Say a street food like phuchka can be presented in an ice cream cone with the water turned into thick compote to go along with it. This item makes you think how a crowd favourite like phuchka can be turned to suit the elitist tastes by just presenting it differently. Further, if you browse through the tasting menu, you will notice most dishes have long names along with a line of description. For instance, a name like ‘bitter batter on the plate’ followed by descriptions like ‘deep fried gourd with home-mixed spices’; may sound fancy and new but in the end you might just be served spiced karela fry!
Pairing with a purpose: The wine, cocktail or alcohol that is paired with your courses, often stems from a purpose rather than just commercial collaboration. The pairing helps in balancing the flavours and bringing out the best on the plate and the drink. Even a mediocre dish may be changed when the right notes of the drink complement it and elevate its taste.
Thus, next time you sit for a tasting menu table, keep these pointers in mind and see the holistic narrative of what’s on the plate.
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