Not a new trend, but a really delicious and inventive one is anything made with liquid nitrogen. Mostly done with ice cream, a company in LA called Chocolate Chair is leading a new wave of LN desserts called Dragon’s Breath and this wild catering concept is showing up at events around the world.
A food item is served along with a “dip” or sauce containing the nitrogen. Its combined with the food and when you eat it, you can blow a fog-like gas through your mouth and nose. It makes you look like a dragon.
Actually, about 80 per cent of the air we breathe is nitrogen. It’s a gas that has no odour, colour or taste. Liquid nitrogen is simply nitrogen gas cooled to its liquefied form at -196°C. It’s cold enough to instantly freeze anything it touches, which is why doctors use it to freeze off unwanted tissue, including warts and cancerous cells. It also has uses in preserving documents, historical items and in forensics. It has been around since the early 1900s but with the evolution of food science, it’s uses are just getting started.
The science behind the ice cream is simple; LN is poured over a cold item and as it evaporates it produces a fog and instantly freezes it, but the reception it receives every time is anything but chilly. People love trying new things and this is definitely innovative food service.