An experience that mimics the sensation of licking your fingers can enhance the taste of creamy foods. This is the concept behind the new spoon created by a British design studio, Michel/Fabian, which specializes in the invention of eating implements of the future.
We often say it's finger licking good... and after eating something so tasty like chocolate cream or ice cream we can't help but lick our fingers. In response to this observation, the design studio Michel/Fabian has developed a new implement dubbed "goûte," which aims to enhance the sensual pleasure of food.
The new utensil is a spoon that mimics the form of a finger. The goal of the invention is to make food taste even better, and it is an ambition that is based on evidence. According to a University of Oxford study, the new accessory can enhance the taste of food by up to 40%.
The food end of the "Goûte" is rounded and wide like a finger, while the slender 21 cm handle is designed to make it easy to hold. The overall result is ideal for plunging into honey, yogurt, a pot of spread or a bowl of chocolate mousse.
In terms of psychology, the goal is to minimize the impression of putting a foreign body into one's mouth, which colors the sensation of eating with a traditional metal knife and fork. There's a glass version of Goûte, which is made by a traditional glass blower in the UK and also a wooden version.