Magnolia Bakery in NYC
Presentation is key. In food, presentation could rival taste. New York bakeries around the world, specifically create beautiful pastries to lure people in. Restaurants actively engage in “plating”, the culinary term for creatively presenting food on a plate, to make their dishes seem tastier, and most importantly, bigger. There are many techniques to create edible art. Many chefs change up plates (from circular to rectangular), drizzle colorful sauces, and sprinkle herbs and spices.
This edible art is encouraged because it makes the food interesting and if it looks interesting, people will want to try it. You know how you promised yourself you wouldn’t eat another cupcake until you went back to the gym? But then you passed by that bakery with that favorite red velvet cupcake and for some reason those sprinkles and the cream cheese frosting look extra inviting and well, your resolve breaks. That’s the power of edible art. We eat with our eyes just as much as we eat with our taste buds.
Ahh I was waiting for someone to make a post about this! Food truly is a work of art. To me, food is two things–presentation and how good it is haha. There have been times were a part of me did not even want to eat the food (shocker!) because it was so nice looking. I know, this sounds ridiculous. And yes, I am that person who would whip out her phone and take pictures of her food to post on Instagram. But food is a work of art in itself and is another reminder of how art can truly be everything and anything.
There have been times when*
They say that you first taste food with your eyes, and believe it or not it does make sense. Stella, I completely agree with your point about presentation being key in the culinary industry, and it is something that has become a staple through out the majority of restaurants. People can get good food from a lot of different places but, they pay for the atmosphere and the quality of the food. Quality used to be and most definitely still is based off the freshness of the ingredients and the preparation that goes into preparing the dish but has now become largely influenced by the uniqueness and preparation involved in the plating and presentation of the dish. It also is largely tied with the atmosphere of the restaurant where every detail such as color of the walls to design of the tables is taken into consideration showing how architecture and design, both of which are forms of art have become increasingly influential within the culinary world. It isn’t necessarily selling the food anymore, but instead the experience.