An eye for flavour

A guest at the first edition of Eating WIthout Eyes. Pics courtesy/Adya Agarwal; Sugar and Space

Take a carrot, peel off the skin and dry it in the sun. Deep-fry it with paprika and salt to make chips. Take the tail and roast in the oven with a honey glaze. Chop up the core and pickle it, retaining its fresh crunch. Puree the leftovers. And voila, you have your zero-waste carrot - a dish that Jashan Sippy vividly narrates the recipe for. Sippy, an architect, is the founder of Sugar and SPACE, a food design and innovation agency that creates immersive food experiences that, yes, includes carrots.

Zero-waste carrot was one of the dishes served at the first edition of Eating Without Eyes, an event where guests experience a 10-course meal blindfolded, back in December last year. The second edition returns this weekend in light of Valentine's Day.

Zero-waste carrot

The agency likes to get rid of bias, and they have a 3D food printer where they transform food waste. Elucidating how sustainability and mindfulness are the ethos of his venture, Sippy says, "Now, if you read zero-waste carrot on a menu at a restaurant, it's not a dish many of us are open-minded enough to pay for. So, what we're really trying to do is show how far one single ingredient can go."

The tasting menu is made by a creative chef. Not only is the experience fun, but also compels one to utilise all their senses to perceive food. "It's not just about presentation or taste but smell, sound, mouth-feel, temperature, and more, that influences a meal," Sippy shares, adding that food preferences, dietary restrictions and allergies are factored in. Following this, a post-tasting discussion takes place where each dish is revealed and guests are asked what they expected it to be when they were eating it blindfolded versus seeing it live.

Jashan Sippy

All distancing and hygiene protocol will be maintained, and candles, knives and wine glasses are kept away from the table for safety reasons. "We are partnering with the cocktail kit brand Bartisans. We tell the guests that the next course is outside their plate so they get excited. We ensure that our glassware is stable, so it doesn't get knocked over," Sippy states. He also informs that there will be key factors that guests must bear in mind about the event, and a document detailing pointers such as keeping their cell phones away during the blindfolded part, visiting the restroom and washing of hands beforehand, will be sent in advance.

On February 13, 7.30 pm
At Ministry of New, Kitab Mahal, Fort.
Email info@sugarandspace.in
Cost Rs 2,200