Saturday, July 18, 2009

le whif - common scents

i recently wrote about my chocolate experiences past and present, revealing to all the hitherto hinted at but fairly discrete relationship with my dark master - the cocoa bean. as a result of that, coming out of sorts, i thought i'd head out across the net to come up with something new and innovative in the world of chocolate.

i think you'll be astonished at what i've come up with.

the paris location of laboshop (which you have to see to believe) has just released an extraordinary product called le whif.

okay no pun intended but let's take a breather here - what's with the word whiff? in addition to being one of those words that i sometimes think about and wonder at its origin, the word "whiff" has many connotations. now, a sniffer is a sniffer no matter how beautiful . . . or handsome . . . you might be.

but if you have the money or merely the inclination, then in this instance "whiff" would describe the momentary experiencing of the smell of chocolate.

the smell of chocolate. that's it.

here's what i found at the site by way of explanation: "le whif is a revolutionary new way of eating chocolate - by breathing it! imagine, chocolate without the calories. be the first to try inhaled chocolate when le whif goes on sale later this month in four luscious flavors: mint chocolate, raspberry chocolate, mango chocolate, and plain chocolate.

harvard professor david edwards, lead inventor of le whif, says: "over the centuries we've been eating smaller and smaller quantities at shorter and shorter intervals. it seemed to us that eating was tending toward breathing, so, with a mix of culinary art and aerosol science, we've helped move eating habits to their logical conclusion. we call it whiffing."

le whif is a terrific way to curb your appetite or to accompany a coffee, and edwards says inhaled chocolate is just the beginning. new culinary innovations that involve eating by breathing are being developed by the foodlab at le laboratoire, edwards' art and science innovation center in central paris."

hmmmmm. i dunno. very cool thinking and a cool product, but at ten euros (almost sixteen dollars canadian) i think i'll risk the weight gain and the sugar/caffeine spike for something i can feel in my mouth!!

5 comments:

Delwyn said...

Hi Steven

you do have the most unusual posts which says a lot about you...nice things...

The whiffing reminds me of that restaurant that prides itself on the most unusual experimental food, miles out of nowhere in France I believe - which is booked out years ahead and people travel miles and pay colossal prices for the strangest arty food...

Give me a piece of fish and a simple salad any day...


and whiffing of caffeine - now that could be very saleable. I have heard that coffee aroma is pumped out into the streets to entice people in to cafes. I believe that - the aroma and the promise is often more thrilling than the taste...

Happy days

steven said...

hi delwyn, i am fascinated by this world. i get that from my father, who got that from his father. i think it might stop there but i'm not sure.
i love food in any form - arty or simple - my only criteria is that it's prepared and served with care, love if possible, and respect for where it came from and how it's used.
i think a coffee whiff would sell very well. i love coffee but i'll agree with you that the smell is far more enticing than the taste would suggest!! have a peaceful day. steven

Aleks said...

Oh dear,finaly something good for me,my whole life I wanted to eat only astronaut food,hate spending so much time in the toilet if you know what I mean.
First I have studied for a restaurant cook,worked some years but could not find my way in it.I became an artyfarty craftswoman.
Smelling food,specialy one of my favs,chokolata, :O) would mean a new life for me.Cause I am not rich I'll just pretend smellin it,good anyways!!
Love your fascinating posts Steven,
greetings and take care,hope you will be OK while your lady is away.
Love and peace,Sandra

Aleks said...

Steven,hi again! Cant find your piece on Sigur Ros,dunno where to look? :O|
2008 posts or which month of 2009?
Thank you :O)

steven said...

see i think artyfartycraftswoman goes nicely with food. i'm a skinny boy from all the biking so i need food - lots - its heavenly smell is where i begin! that's part of why i do all the cooking for my family. it makes me happy. for the sigur ros pieces, type the words sigur ros in the little search box in the top left hand corner of my blog and everything will be revealed!!!!!
have a peaceful day. steven