Top Restaurants Worldwide Are Dishing Out the “Dirt”

It’s too soon to tell whether it’s a fad or a trend,  but  edible “dirt” is proudly being served in many  fine restaurants including Manhattan’s Gilt, San Francisco’s Marlowe,  Copenhagen’s Noma, and Tel Aviv’s Shakuf.  The “dirt” says Time,  varies in consistency:  “Some resemble ash, others sand or soil.”

The quotation marks around  the word “dirt,” might clue you in that this isn’t exactly dirt taken from the restaurants’ back yards.  So what is it really? Time describes it as “dried or charred ingredients to give menu items an extra-earthy kick.”  In various restaurants serving haute cuisine, famous chefs have produced it in their gourmet kitchens, from one of the  following : dried malt and beer, chickpeas, dried olives, mushrooms, or charred onions.  These dried or burnt offerings may appear on the diner’s plate as part of a salad, a base for the entrée, or  a  dusting on top of a steak, to name just a few possibilities.  At Noma  (recently acclaimed the world’s best restaurant), radishes are served in a terra-cotta pot of edible “dirt.” 

Perhaps the strangest part of the story is that diners seem to love the taste. Not only is the novelty fun, but, chefs say, their “dirt”  actually tastes good.  Moreover, “dirt” on one’s plate  (if it isn’t due to a faulty dishwasher) is a reminder that soil is the source of most of our food. 

What’s next in the development of this idea?  One imaginative chef is working on “pebbles” made of frozen foie gras.  But will customers really think of them as pebbles?

Just one caveat: Go easy on the “dirt” that’s charred rather than dried. No matter how delicious, it may be wise to leave most of it on the plate. Professor Joe Regenstein, a food scientist and member of Shelf Life Advice’s Advisory Board, cautions that the impact of “charcoal” on humans may not have received sufficient study to be sure it’s safe to  eat. 

We thought the only dirt we’d consume this political season would be dished out by politicians.  You never know.

Please send us your comments—especially if you’ve ever dined on “dirt.”

Source(s):

Time, September 27, 2010, p. 55

Joe Regenstein, Ph.D. Cornell University, Dept. of Food Science

The Wall Street Journal “Copenhagen’s Noma Named World’s Best Restaurant”  April 26, 2010

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471204575209542091581002.html