Research and innovation play a vital role in ensuring we can continue to enjoy delicious and sustainable produce despite the challenges of a changing climate – and this theme formed the centrepiece of the Science Behind Your Plate dinner.
The Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) hosted a tantalising exploration of food and science at a sold-out four-course dinner at MudBar Restaurant in Launceston on Friday August 1. The dinner linked agricultural science themes with specially prepared dishes in an effort to get people thinking about the science behind their plate.
Each agricultural themed dish was accompanied by a talk from TIA researchers including food scientist Dr Naomi Vinden, research fellow Dr Rowan Smith and food scientist Professor Rob Shellie.
The dinner was part of agrifood festival agriCULTURED and featured food prepared by guest chef Cameron Matthews, of Mapleton Public House, Queensland, who was inspired after learning about the innovative research underway to boost productivity and sustainability for Tasmania's agriculture and food sectors.
It's just the second time TIA has held the event to create interest and excitement around agricultural science and raise awareness about the importance of agriculture and food industries.
Tasty science
Chef Matthews helped bring science to life during the creation of the first course, 'Smoky vineyard salad'', that featured a salad of grapes, smoked ricotta and burnt apple puree. The course was accompanied by a talk from Dr Vinden who discussed a TIA research project that's assessing the production of sparkling wine from smoke affected wine grapes, and the sensory impact of smoke compounds on sparkling wine during ageing.
The star of the second course was lamb, with a dish featuring lamb tartare, chicory caramel and fresh chicory legume mix. It was accompanied by a talk from Dr Smith about a five-year project aimed at boosting productivity and resilience in Tasmania's red meat industry through the use of legumes.
The third course featured Cape Grim sirloin and Mudbar Farm vegetables. It included a talk from Ed Archer from Landfall Angus who shared insights into his family's business journey, sustainable farming practises and the future of Angus genetics in Australia.
The fourth course was titled 'preserved mousse' and featured dark chocolate and vanilla miso mousse with aromatic herbs, marmalade and orange. It was accompanied by a talk from Professor Shellie with insights on the chemistry and future of food.
The delicious dessert was served in a tin can and Professor Shellie questioned diners' perceptions of meals served in cans. He urged them to think about the dishes they were eating and talked about the science of eating with your eyes.
"We eat with our eyes first. Eating with your eyes is not just a saying, it's a known fact, we really do eat with our eyes," Professor Shellie said.
"Think about the dishes tonight and with the beautiful colours, our mind goes to freshness and our mind goes to flavour. We look at a beautifully plated dish in a restaurant and we think that looks really appetising. This is before we even touch the food, this is all with our eyes.
"That is the science behind your plate."
The Science Behind Your Plate dinner was hosted by TIA and generously sponsored by the TAS Farm Innovation Hub.
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