Futurist meals

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Futurist meals comprised a cuisine and style of dining advocated by some members of the Futurist movement, particularly in Italy. These meals were first proposed in the Manifesto of Futurist Cooking (1930).

The Futurist movement recognized that "men think, dream and act according to what they eat and drink" so cooking and eating needed to become subservient to the proper aesthetic experience that Futurism favored. Revolutionary in its expectations of overturning set patterns and expectations, some of its more interesting ideas for the realm of cuisine were:

  • No more pasta, as it causes lassitude, pessimism and lack of passion
  • Perfect meals requiring:
    • originality and harmony in table setting including all implements, food aesthetics and tastes
    • absolute originality in the food
  • Sculpted foods, including meats whose main appeal is to the eye and imagination
  • Abolition of the knife and fork
  • Use of perfumes to enhance the tasting experience

The Manifesto of Futurist Cooking also proposed that the way in which meals were served be fundamentally changed:

  • Some food on the table would not be eaten, but only experienced by the eyes and nose
  • Food would arrive rapidly and contain many flavors, but only a few mouthfuls in size
  • All political discussion and speeches would be forbidden
  • Music and poetry would be forbidden except during certain intervals

One of the proposed settings for these "perfect meals" incorporated the Futurist love of machinery: The diners would eat in a mock aircraft, whose engines' vibrations would stimulate the appetite. The tilted seats and tables would "shake out" the diners' pre-conceived notions, while their tastebuds would be overwhelmed by highly original dishes listed on aluminum cards.

Traditional kitchen equipment would be replaced by scientific equipment, bringing modernity and science to the kitchen thus eliminating the limiting. Suggested equipment included:

  • Ozonizers -- to give food the smell of ozone
  • Ultraviolet ray lamps -- activates vitamins and other "active properties"
  • Electrolyzers -- to decompose items into new forms and properties
  • Colloidal mills -- to pulverize any food item
  • Autoclaves, dialyzers, atmospheric and vacuum stills to cook food without destroying vitamins
  • Chemical indicators or analyzers to help the cook determine if sauces need more salt, sugar, or vinegar

The Italian public was not won over by the Futurist manifesto regarding cuisine. While other aspects of the Futurist movement in the realm of art gained a certain amount of popularity, the revolutionary movement in food was a failure.

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