The world of perfumes becomes ever wider and more varied, interacting with various forms of art, including music and travel, up to the kitchen. Thinking of drinking a perfume is not exactly appropriate, but creating an edible perfume that can be sipped in a cocktail is a growing trend. One of the first to do so was Emanuele Balestra, one of the biggest bar tenders in the world, in charge of the bars at the Majestic Barrière hotel in Cannes. In his aromatic garden he has planted over 70 species of plants, including: basil, lemon balm, sage, bergamot, centifolia rose, kumquat, lavender, Mentone lemon, verbena and more. “It was meticulous work. With my team I had to create an ecosystem in our garden to extract intense aromas that enrich the cocktails – explains Balestra -. The plants are grown organically, harvested when fully ripe in order to release all their aroma in the sophisticated preparations of bitters, jellies, cordials and other extracts that create an inimitable flavor in my cocktails». But be careful, it’s not simply a question of perfuming a cocktail, but of treating the cocktail as if it were an edible perfume. Thanks to these scents, the Fouquet’s bar à parfum inside the Hotel Majestic Barriére in Cannes offers a unique sensory experience. «We spray the perfume on the cocktail or on a ribbon wrapped around the stem of the glass, or we apply it directly on the customer’s hand», explains the mixologist. «A single dash of a blend of verbena and white peach transforms a champagne, an extract of rose geranium from Marrakesh gives an unprecedented flavor to Mezcal Bruxo, just as the Bloody Majestic is different from any other Bloody Mary, thanks to a dash of fresh mix and sparkling of Menton lemon and Thai basil. The result is always the same: smell transcends taste».
The fragrant dishes
The importance of aromas in food is a fundamental aspect, the sense of smell helps us to anticipate flavours, but it is also able to bring to light memories and emotions, how can we fail to mention Proust’s famous madaleines? The Accademia del Profumo, in the latest edition, proposed a course in perfumed cooking by Eataly where chef Caterina Mosca was joined by the nose Luca Maffei, of the Atelier Fragranze Milano essence house, to create three dishes combined with olfactory notes . «It was fun to give an extra twist to these dishes – explains Luca Maffei -, after all, the concept of edible perfumes, or rather aromas, is a rapidly growing trend. Chef Caterina prepared three dishes: a risotto, savory pancakes and a dessert and my job was to combine a material that could go well with the dish. To the first course, a brown rice made with sage almonds, I combined an essence of magnolia; I combined the bergamot with the pancake with pea humus while I combined the strawberry cramble with sandalwood. It was a very engaging experience, one more testimony of how through the sense of smell we can untie ourselves from our usual habit of taste and live a more intense experience, if you close your eyes it’s as if you were eating only by smelling».
I profumi gourmand
Scents so sweet you’d eat them? These are the gourmand perfumes, from the French “gourmand” greedy, inspired by pastry, born to satisfy our desire for sweets, reproducing notes such as spices, chocolate, sugar, licorice, caramel, but above all the beloved vanilla , one of the most intoxicating notes that nature can offer us, loved by “noses” for the thousand facets it brings to a perfume. At our disposal a buffet of praline sweets, delicious and mischievous touches. The olfactory notes range from the sweetness of honey and pralines to the aroma of coffee and chocolate up to the fruity notes including the juicy ones of tropical climates. Another aspect are the alcoholic gourmand notes, the so-called “liqueur” perfumes: brandy, cognac, whiskey, rum, enter the olfactory compositions to give life to very particular creations, with a leathery and smoky flavour. They are often enhanced with coffee beans or drier ingredients such as tobacco.