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While conducting a demonstration of elBulli techniques in front of a small audience at the Culinary Institute's Spain and the World Table Conference at Greystone in November 2006, Ferran Adria lamented that students coming out of culinary school know next to nothing about culinary history and that in fact as of then there had not been a good and reliable account of recent culinary history anywhere. He suggested that it would make a good graduate thesis or perhaps a number of them.
Adria's interest in culinary history is profound. In fact he may very well be the world's expert on the history of western culinary development since Escoffier. Now, however, he has help. Pau Arenós, a Catalan journalist and friend of Adria's has taken up the mantel and produced a chart showing the relative location and association of many of the most influential western chefs of the 20th and 21st centuries and their relationships to cuisine and the historical development of western cuisine over that time period. The chart is similar in format to that developed by Alfred H. Barr of the Museum of Modern Art in New York to outline the relationships and evolution of modern art. As might be expected, it is not exactly a neat and tidy list given the various paths cuisine has taken over that time. Nevertheless, Arenós has identified the major areas of western culinary approach and separated people accordingly. Of the chefs included, the classifications are by and large reasonable inviting little debate. What may invite greater debate are the chefs, influences and movements that have been omitted or perhaps afforded less weight than some might think. For Arenós, the project arose from a need to answer the question, "After nouvelle cuisine, which in France demolished and cleaned up the legacy of Auguste Escoffier and his mustachioed friends, did there exist a group of cooks born in Spain and led by Ferran Adria, with new and different approaches and with followers disseminated across various countries?" The answer, clearly, was yes, but where did this group came from? To answer the question, Arenós felt he needed to first look at history and then at the group involved. By analyzing the history of modern western cooking, Arenós determined that this group of cooks sprang from Nouvelle Cuisine and an associated group of "isms." He then asked the question as to what made these cooks different from what and who came before them.
Arenós has provided a definition of the major modern movement that he calls "technoemotional cuisine" with 10 points covering the various aspects of that movement. One thing that has been agreed upon by most is that heretofore an adequate and universally accepted name to describe this contemporary cuisine embodied by Ferran Adria and his peers and followers has not been coined. Perhaps the most well known moniker has been "Molecular Gastronomy" with others like "hypermodern" or "Vanguard Cuisine" also having been bandied about. Arenós' name for the movement comes directly from his 10 points. Combined, these tend to capture the essence of that style of cooking and provide a descriptive name that fits to t. The styles of chefs like Adria, Achatz, Dufresne and Aduriz, for example all fall under his description though not every chef will necessarily fit all 10 points to the same degree and some of these points may be shared by other schools of cuisine.
THE 10 FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF TECHNOEMOTIONAL COOKING
according to Pau Arenós:
- 1.Cooking is a language that allows cooks to express themselves. Cooks create for themselves, although they wish to share their creations with others and hope they will be appreciated.
2.Cooks take risks; they know their suggestions may not be understood. The risks in technoemotional cooking are greater than in other culinary movements.
3.Cooks do not create dish by dish. Their aim is to open up new paths using techniques and concepts.
4.Their creations set out to stimulate all the senses. The sense of touch becomes important as the cook works with textures and temperatures.
5.The culinary action surpasses what is physical and sensory, and focuses on emotional and intellectual aspects. Intellectual pleasure is sought through humor, provocation, reflection, etc.
6.The creator relates with other disciplines to achieve the above, also with new technologies.
7.Diners are not passive but active. The act of eating requires concentration and a specific disposition.
8.All products have the same gastronomic value.
9.The frontiers disappear between sweet and savory, between the main ingredients and the complementary ones. The ideal means of expression is a degustation menu.
10.Cooking is a way of life. The restaurant is not just a business.
Pau Arenós siting between and speaking with Toni Massanés (Director of Alicia) and Ferran Adria at Madrid Fusión 2008
To Arenós, technoemotional cuisine is a direct descendant of nouvelle cuisine and not a break from it the way Nouvelle cuisine was a break from the regimentation of Escoffier. Arenós' ten points add to the ten points that Gault and Millau made to define the Nouvelle Cuisine of Bocuse, the brothers Troisgros et al, which are essentially:
- 1. A movement towards simplicity and a rejection of excess.
2. An attempt to preserve the essential flavors of a product by shortening cooking times.
3. The importance of the quality of the primary product emphasizing freshness.
4. A predilection for shorter rather than larger menus.
5. Abandonment of strong marinades for meat and game.
6. A change from classic heavy roux-based sauces to lighter ones emphasizing acids, quality butter and herbs.
7. An emphasis on regional traditions for inspiration.
8. an interest in new techniques and equipment.
9. Acknowledgment of and interest in dietary and nutritional concerns.
10. A new emphasis on creativity.
These points of Gault and Millau are in no way rejected by the adherents of Technoemotional Cooking. They are, instead the base upon which Arenós' ten points and the cuisine are constructed. As with most everything throughout history, as original and revolutionary as it is, Technoemotional Cooking is really a just a continuum of what has come before. While new approaches such as Adria's are necessary for continuing an evolution, they tend to be most effective and indeed novel when based on an understanding and knowledge of what came before. It is this history that provides context for innovation.
This labor of Arenós is clearly still a work in progress as evidenced by a round-table discussion of it held at the 2008 Madrid Fusion conference this past January. As a result of his work, Arenós recently received a Diploma of Gastronomic Excellence from the International Academy of Gastronomy, which in turn recognized Arenós term of Technoemotional Cuisine as the best descriptor yet of the style of cooking it defines. Much of his graphic representation is subject to debate as are the specifics of the ten points of Technoemotional cuisine. This is why the eGullet Society Forums are the perfect place for further discussion. Please share your thoughts.
A pdf of Arenós chart will be available for download shortly. Please refer to that and add your thoughts here.
This post has been edited by docsconz: 28 February 2008 - 07:33 PM
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