Creating bespoke note by note dishes and drinks inspired by traditional foods

French physical chemist, Hervé This, first proposed Note by Note (NbN) cooking in 1994. It is an application of molecular gastronomy and involves the use of compounds, either pure or in mixtures, rather than traditional food ingredients to make dishes. A review of international activities, relating to NbN cooking and cuisine, reveals that it has the potential to contribute to the creation of bespoke foods and drinks, e.g., by using ingredients which are sustainable and which provide nutritional value. However the ‘food neophobia’ of some consumers needs to be overcome to ensure its success. In light of these findings, it was decided to explore if and how the factors of food neophobia, sustainability and nourishment influenced students when they were developing their NbN dishes/drinks for their module assignment in TU Dublin. One hundred and five students at TU Dublin have, since 2013, completed NbN assignments and their corresponding reports which provide details of the development of their dishes/drinks. Eighty-seven of these were available for analysis. It was found that the majority of the students (62%) were inspired by traditional foods to create bespoke NbN dishes/drinks, helping to address the ‘food neophobia’ of some consumers. The development of one of these dishes and one of these drinks is discussed. This information would be beneficial for others who will be developing NbN dishes/drinks.