Is virtual food the real deal?

When you put on your virtual reality headset – everything around you gets transformed into what you feed it i.e. what you digitally feed into your headset. You could be sitting in your drawing room in pyjamas, but experience being in a fine dining restaurant in front of a buffet table laden with food. Not just see, you can actually smell, taste and even chew the ‘food’ that is in front of you. So is it just a fun piece of technology that amplifies your eating experience or does it have far better use than that. Read on to find out!

Activate all your senses

A virtual reality head set actually tricks your mind into believing you are eating food. The kit consists of a 3d printer which lets you see the food being made and served to you and watch it get over as you ‘eat’ it. The headset also replicates all the sounds – right from the sound of a fork touching the plate to that of you chewing your food. An aromatic diffuser lets you smell it all, for e.g. if there is bacon in your virtual burger you are going to be able to smell that gorgeous aroma all through. The headset also comes with a set of transmitters that connect to your throat and mouth so you can experience chewing and swallowing your food too. All in all you eat an entire meal without really putting a single morsel in your mouth or gaining a single calorie!

Functional food technology

While this might just be a fun activity to indulge in for most of us, virtual reality in the food business could do a lot of good for people fighting eating disorders and lifestyle diseases. For example diabetics could get the happiness of eating a sugar laden donut without actually having to eat it. It could also be useful as therapy for people who have suffered a stroke or paralysis and are unable to chew their food. Elderly people whose taste buds are not as efficient, those with a lactose intolerance and even vegans. This technology is also great for chefs who food enthusiasts who are keen to explore certain food combinations and tastes.

The world of virtual reality in food makes you look at your dining experience in a whole new light. You can experience the joy of maa ke haath ka khana when studing abroad, taste fantasy food you have only imagined in your head and even sip on kahwa tea in Kashmir – all of this while sitting in your living room with this brilliant equipment on!