While other scientists have been wasting their time trying to cure diseases, one Harvard researcher has invented a device that lets you inhale food vapours. Finally, we’re free from the burden of shoving delicious food in our faces!
Daily Mail reporter Laura Powell travelled to France try one of the only two Le Whafs in existence and meet its inventor, Professor David Edwards. The device, which goes on sale later this year for $US135, turns specially prepared liquidised versions of various foods (sold separately) into a cloud of tiny liquid droplets that are then captured in a glass bowl. Powell describes the experience of inhaling essence of lemon tart through a glass straw:
At first, my mouth feels warm and dry; then, as the droplets in the smoke settle, I can make out the particular flavours. The lemon tart is zingy and fresh. Next, a whaf of tarte tatin fills my mouth with caramel … Best of all, each breath (or ‘whaf’) contains hardly any calories — so you can have as much as you like without gaining weight.
Hmm… tasting things with my tongue has been getting really boring lately. Plus, “whaffing” for 10 minutes only produces 200 calories, and as a lady I’m always struggling to consume as few calories as possible. (This article appears in the “Femail” section of the paper, natch.) I can see why Edwards predicts this “futuristic way of eating” is going to catch on around the world!
But Le Whaf doesn’t just work with food. You can pour your favourite alcohol in it and inhale as much as you want without getting drunk. I bet champagne is even more fun when you can’t feel the bubbles on your tongue or get tipsy. Though, we may still have some use for inebriation in the future; Edwards admits he came up with the idea for Le Whaf after he’d “had a few too many glasses of wine.”
Despite this inauspicious beginning, Edwards has big dreams for his invention:
Imagine a restaurant where, instead of sitting at a table, you walk around,’ he says in his chalky-soft voice. ‘Instead of eating food, you’re breathing it in as you walk from room to room, each with a different flavour. Celery in one. Steak in another. Then pate.
Damn, I can’t wait! In the meantime, I’m going to go to the Cheesecake Factory and wander around aimlessly without ordering anything. Mmm… I can almost taste that celery scent now!
Anyone For A Puff Of Lemon Tart? Now There’s Food You Don’t Eat But INHALE [Daily Mail]