For the Heinz Beanz Flavour Experience, design duo Bompas & Parr matched five flavours of baked beans with a handmade bowl and a spoon with a tiny MP3 player inside it. The music is inaudible until the diner places the spoon in their mouth and gently bites down, causing sound vibrations to travel through the jawbone to the ear.

For the Cheddar cheese variety, they created a yellow wax bowl that looks like a wheel of cheese, and loaded the spoon with a melody inspired by Elgar and played with a cheese wire.

The garlic and herb flavoured beans have a bowl shaped like a bulb of garlic and a soundtrack made from the sound of rustling garlic skins and tin cans knocking against each other.

The fiery chilli beans have a sharp and spiky bowl made of stainless steel and wood, with a soundtrack that uses high frequency noises to reflect the searing heat of a chilli.

For the barbecue flavoured beans the designers charred the outer surface of a limewood bowl to give it a smoky smell and paired it with blues music and the sound of sizzling.

Finally the curry flavoured beans come with a bowl inspired by tall piles of spices and a percussive bhangra soundtrack composed from the sounds of tin cans filled with different spices and seeds.

The five Heinz Beanz Flavour Experiences will be available in limited numbers from department store Fortnum & Mason in London.

Sam Bompas and Harry Parr (above) met as schoolboys and founded their studio in 2007 after graduating from University College London and The Bartlett school of architecture respectively. In 2008 the duo organised a competition to make architecture from jelly, with entries including a miniature Madrid-Barajas Airport by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.

Other unusual food we've featured includes an edible desk lamp and an ice cream cake shaped like the moon – see all food on Dezeen.

Here's more information from Heinz:

Have you ever wondered why fish and chips never taste as good as the time you ate them by the seaside out of paper? The reason for this is that our taste buds are intrinsically linked to our other senses – it's not just about what we taste, but also what we see and touch. Our surroundings, shape, texture and even sound, can all affect our experience and enjoyment of food.

With this in mind, the nation's favourite beans brand, Heinz, has teamed up with renowned food architects Bompas & Parr. Celebrating the launch of new Heinz Flavoured Beanz, the gastronomic duo have designed the ultimate flavour experience.

The Heinz Beanz Flavour Experience

Combining contemporary design with the brain power of top boffins, the Heinz Beanz Flavour Experience includes a handcrafted bowl and a mind-blowing magical, musical spoon, displayed in an exclusive case. Created to tap into all five senses the ‘Flavour Experiences’ marry sound, taste, touch, sight and smell, to provide the ideal sensory environment in which each dish should be eaten.

By examining the key flavours in each of the five varieties of Heinz Flavoured Beanz, Bompas & Parr have created five unique Flavour Experiences, each inspired by the look, feel and taste of the different beans. Ensuring we can experience beans like never before, these include:

» Heinz Beanz Curry Flavour Experience
» Heinz Beanz Fiery Chilli Flavour Experience
» Heinz Beanz Barbecue Flavour Experience
» Heinz Beanz Cheddar Cheese Flavour Experience
» Heinz Beanz Garlic & Herbs Flavour Experience

Bringing magic to mealtimes

Unlike normal spoons MP3 players have been fitted inside the spoons that play soundtracks specially composed to enhance the key flavours of each of the Heinz Flavoured Beanz varieties even further. Inaudible until placed in the mouth, these unique themes can be heard when gently biting on the spoon. To enhance the Heinz Beanz Curry Flavour Experience, sounds of typical Punjabi Bhangra have been composed. Those enjoying the taste of Heinz Beanz Fiery Chilli will have their dining experience enriched with the sounds of up-tempo Latin samba, whilst the Heinz Beanz Barbecue Flavour Experience draws a cultural reference to the Deep South, playing gentle blues accompanied by soft sizzling sounds.

The textures and colours of the bowls have been designed and handcrafted to further signify flavour associations. The Heinz Beanz Cheddar Cheese Flavour Experience includes a circular bowl made of cast yellow wax, based on the form, texture and colour of a traditional round of cheese, whilst the Heinz Beanz Garlic & Herbs Flavour Experience bowl draws on the organic shape of a garlic bulb, made from 96 layers of 750 micron thick card, giving it a soft, natural appearance.

Honouring the store that first stocked Heinz Beanz in 1886, the five Heinz Beanz Flavour Experiences are available exclusively from iconic London retailer, Fortnum & Mason. A limited number have been produced to trial amongst consumers and will be available from 25th March for £57 RRP.

Creating a new way of enjoying food

Sam Bompas, of Bompas & Parr, comments: "Harry Parr has synesthesia[1] and is using this alongside his architectural training to project himself (intellectually if not physically) into the Heinz Beanz Flavour Experience. The bowls and spoons give the diner a total sensory experience fully exploring the taste, haptic[2] and sonic aspects of Heinz Beanz. The project is geared to get people to look again at what is on the end of their spoons. As they eat their Beanz they can wonder at the world of flavours that contributes to everyday culinary sensation. Ultimately the project is designed to showcase the various flavours of Heinz Flavoured Beanz and touch people's most sensitive organs…their bellies."

Katherine Broadley, Heinz, comments: "Quick, convenient and delicious, Heinz Beanz has long been a popular speedy serve for shoppers across the country. However with the nation’s tastes evolving and becoming more sophisticated, Heinz Flavoured Beanz have been introduced to offer a new taste experience, whilst remaining true to the flavours of the beans we know and love.

"Through our latest work with food architects Bompas & Parr, we hope to continue to elevate Heinz Beanz’s iconic status, offering beans lovers a new and exciting way in which to experience their favourite flavours. Harnessing the power of new technological developments we have created the Heinz Beanz Flavour Experience to challenge perceptions of how we eat and change the way in which we consume food."

The Nation's 'Flavourite Beanz'

The Heinz Flavoured Beanz range includes Heinz Beanz Cheddar Cheese, Heinz Beanz Curry, Heinz Beanz Fiery Chilli, Heinz Beanz Garlic & Herbs and Heinz Beanz Barbecue. All varieties are naturally high in fibre, a natural source of protein and naturally low in fat. And with a portion of each variety delivering one of your five-a-day, beans lovers can be sure to receive a daily portion of goodness as well as a hit of flavour that packs a punch.

Heinz Flavoured Beanz are available now in 390g cans from leading supermarkets, RRP 84p.

The post Heinz Beanz Flavour Experience
by Bompas & Parr appeared first on Dezeen.

The implement is formed from one petal-shaped piece of steel, reminiscent of flint cutting utensils from the Stone Age.

"The project analyses the different aspects of the intrinsic relationship between mankind and design, proposing to the modern culture a forgotten tool," Daneluzzo told Dezeen.

Instead of a handle found on contemporary knives, a subtle ridge runs along the thicker top of the blade to aid grip.

The shape slims towards the front and bottom to create the sharp cutting edge.

The knife is available in polished or blasted steel and is stored upright on a pebble-like stand that comes included.

Daneluzzo developed the product while studying at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, and it is currently in production with Italian cutlery brand Del Ben.

It was launched at the Ambiente trade fair in Frankfurt earlier the year, where pans with hooks instead of handles by Karim Rashid were also unveiled.

We've featured quite a few stories about unusual cutlery, such as a set designed to stimulate all five senses and a range modelled on workshop tools.

See all our stories about cutlery »
See all our stories about homeware »

The post Primitive knife by Michele Daneluzzo
for Del Ben appeared first on Dezeen.

Maison&Objet 2013: Japanese architect Toyo Ito will present a set of cutlery with slim handles like chopsticks at Maison&Objet design fair in Paris, which opens tomorrow.

Mu, which means "hexagon" in Japanese, was designed by Toyo Ito to complement the Ku crockery collection he created for Alessi in 2006.

Each piece of stainless steel cutlery has a slim handle that finishes in a hexagonal profile at the tip.

The range includes a fork, knife and spoon for the table, a fork, a knife and spoon for dessert, a pastry fork, a tea spoon, a coffee spoon and a mocha coffee spoon. Also available are salad servers, a ladle, a cake server and a serving spoon and fork.

Ito's Japanese Pavilion at last year's Venice Architecture Biennale was named the best pavilion at the event, while his previous projects include a spotty black theatre in Tokyo – see all architecture by Toyo Ito.

The cutlery is being shown at Maison&Objet design and interiors fair in Paris, which opens tomorrow and runs until 22 January. See all our stories about Maison&Objet 2013.

We previously featured another set of cutlery designed for Alessi by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec – see all designs from Alessi.

See all our stories about cutlery »
See all our stories about homeware »

Here's some more information from Alessi:

MU Cutlery set, designed by Toyo Ito for Alessi

"Sharp, yet with a touch of sensitivity and elegance... Linear, yet with an organic quality of plants... We intend to shift our familiar sensations with chopsticks onto cutlery." Toyo Ito

The Japanese architect Toyo Ito continues to build his family of objects for the mise-en-place of the table. The fluid shapes of the delicate KU porcelain service, designed in 2006, are now complemented by the MU Cutlery set, which means "hexagon" in Japanese.

The hexagonal section of the handle is created using a mould and the intricate manufacturing process involves various stages.

The precision of the slim, full handle is reminiscent of the shape of Oriental chopsticks and contrasts with the rounded profiles of the spoons and the knife blades.

The MU table service includes Table spoon, Table fork and Table knife, Dessert spoon, Dessert fork, Dessert knife, Pastry fork, Tea spoon, Coffee spoon and Mocha coffee spoon. The range also features four types of serving cutlery: Salad set, Ladle, Cake server, Serving spoon and fork.

Cutlery set in 18/10 stainless steel. Sets for 1 person (5 pieces), 6 persons (24 pieces) and 12 persons (75 pieces).

Table spoon - cm 20
Table fork - cm 20
Table knife - cm 22
Dessert spoon - cm 18
Dessert fork - cm 18
Dessert knife - cm 20
Tea spoon - cm 14
Coffee spoon - cm 13
Mocha coffee spoon - cm 11
Pastry fork - cm 16,5
Ladle - cm 26,5
Serving spoon - cm 26
Serving fork - cm 26
Salad set - cm 28
Cake server - cm 25

The post MU Cutlery by Toyo Ito
for Alessi appeared first on Dezeen.

Created to complement Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec's earlier Ovale range of tableware for Alessi, the set includes over twenty pieces in stainless steel.

"We had been trying to follow the logic of Ovale and decided at the beginning to apply the minimum shape that would be needed to make everything," Erwan Bouroullec told Dezeen. "We tried to find something which is not forced, not only for special dinners and not only for everyday. Just to find the refined language that makes it stand for itself, while not trying to bring any kind of luxury or pretentious shapes."

He compared the process to devising a new typeface: "On the one hand you've got certain geometries based on ergonomics and you have to respect them in order to make well-balanced cutlery that's comfortable in your hand. On the other hand, like a typeface, we've been defining some rules about what happens between a line and a curve - where is the radius? Is it a straight join or is it slightly curved? And then you kind of apply these rules to every shape."

Bouroullec also stressed the importance of creating rules that are appropriate to every piece. "I think, sometimes, in contemporary cutlery there is a kind of will to apply some shape or some design language that doesn't fit every part of the cutlery. That really is a problem. You have to find a logic which is worth applying to many objects."

"When you treat it seriously, exactly like a typeface, you need to do every piece: the very small spoon, the half spoon, the middle spoon, the big spoon, the big big spoon and so on. So you have to go through the full exercise," he added.

The designs were evolved through many prototypes, first in the brothers' Paris studio and then using stainless steel at the Alessi factory. "One really big issue is the weight: not to make it heavier or lighter overall but you must balance the weight of the handle and the front part of the cutlery really well to get a good movement in your hand," said Bouroullec.

The original Ovale range of plates, dishes and tumblers was launched by Alessi in 2010 and features rounded corners with sides that aren't parallel. Read more in our earlier story.

The Bouroullecs also recently designed all the furniture for the remodelled Faculty of Humanities at Københavns Universitet in Copenhagen and Dezeen interviewed Erwan at Clerkenwell Design Week this summer about their Pico tiles (shown in the background of these images) and their new monograph. See all our stories about design by the Bouroullec brothers.

Alessi was founded outside Milan as a metal tableware producer the 1920s, became synonymous with designer kettles in the 1980s and now works with a host of international designers including the Campana Brothers, Karim Rashid and David Chipperfield. A selection of Alessi watches is available from Dezeen Watch Store.

See all our stories about Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec »
See all our stories about Alessi »
See all our stories about cutlery »
See all our stories about homeware »

The post Ovale cutlery by Ronan and Erwan
Bouroullec for Alessi appeared first on Dezeen.

Jinhyun Jeon, a graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands, made Tableware as Sensorial Stimuli as part of her MA thesis about the relationship between food and the senses.

The project was inspired by the phenomenon of synesthesia, a neurological condition in which stimuli like taste, colour and hearing are affected and triggered by each other. People with synesthesia often report seeing a certain colour when they hear a particular word, for example.

To find out whether this "sensory cross-wiring" could be encouraged and used to enhance taste, Jeon created cutlery based on five sensory elements: colour, tactility, temperature, volume and weight, and form.

The ceramic pieces shown here explore the effects of colour, with various coloured glazes defining the tips of each implement.

Warm colours such as red and orange are supposed to increase appetite, says Jeon, and are most effective when used sparingly.

Other pieces are made from stainless steel, silver or plastic, and the various textures and shapes are intended to stimulate the sense of touch inside the mouth.

Above: photograph by Femke Riierman

The plastic pieces resemble glass, which creates a jarring sensation for the user when the item's appearance is incongruous with its feel. "We tend to believe our sight and touch would be the same, but this is not the whole story," says Jeon.

"The tools I created make us focus on each bite, feel the enriched textures or enhanced chewing sounds between bites," she told Dezeen. "If we can stretch the borders of what tableware can do, the eating experience can be enriched."

Other strange sets of cutlery we've featured on Dezeen include a set of knives, forks and spoons that look like workshop tools and plastic cutlery that clips together to form a small table sculpture.

See our top ten projects from this year's Design Academy Eindhoven show here.

See all our stories about cutlery »
See all our stories about tableware »

Photographs are by Jinhyun Jeon except where stated.

Here's some more information from the designer:

Tableware as Sensorial Stimuli – 'Enhanced Tasty Formulas'

Cutlery design focuses on getting food in bite‐sized morsels from the plate to the mouth, but it could do so much more. The project aims to reveal just how much more, stretching the limits of what tableware can do.

Focusing on ways of making eating a much richer experience, a series of dozens of different designs has been created, inspired by the phenomenon of synesthesia. This is a neurological condition where stimulus to one sense can affect one or more of the other senses.

An everyday event, 'taste' is created as a combination of more than five senses. Tasty formulas with the five elements – temperature, colour, texture, volume/weight and form – are applied to design proposal.

By exploring synesthesia, if we can stretch the borders of what tableware can do, the eating experience can be enriched in multi-­cross­‐wiring ways. The tableware we use for eating should not just be a tool for placing food in our mouth, but it should become an extension of our body, challenging our senses even in the moment when the food is still on its way to being consumed.

Each of these designs has been created to stimulate or train different senses, allowing more than just our tastebuds to be engaged in the act and enjoyment of eating as sensorial stimuli, therefore it would lead the way of mindful eating which guides to rediscovering a healthy and joyful relationship with food.

Temperature: The temperature influences certain changes to the taste. Sugar starts to taste sweeter at body temperature. Salty tastes become stronger when the temperature drops. A sour taste will always be a sour taste when the temperature rises or drops. Bitterness decreases as the temperature rises above the body temperature.

Tactility: According to Dr. Linda Bartoshuk of Yale University School of Medicine, it is generally known that the tongue map is incorrect. Sweet, sour, salty, and bitter are perceived anywhere there are taste buds. When a strong sweet taste and strong salty taste are mixed, it creates a completely new taste. When salty and sour tastes are mixed, both the tastes soften. If the salty and sour tastes are mixed well, a sweet taste can be created. If the sweet taste is stronger than salty taste, the sweet taste becomes stronger. The different types of sensitive tactile spoons could not only stimulate our tongue, but also lips and the palate. The exact effects depend on the level of individual sensibility of our own tongue map.

Colours: Colours can increase appetite when using warm colours, such as red, orange, and yellow. Comparing how sweet tastes between red and yellow with the same level of sugar, the sweetness of the red (crimson, scarlet) coloured food is stronger than yellow. Orange stimulates the appetite, because orange has been found to increase oxygen supply to the brain, and stimulates mental activity. Yellow increases metabolism so it is a good choice for dishes or tablecloths. However, if the food and the table are arranged with warm colours, it could decrease the appetite. The warm colours are most effective when used in small amounts to create highlights.

Volume and weight: The volume of the hollow part of the spoon influences and enhances the auditory sense of the sound scraping against glassware, as well as our taste/appetite. A spoon that is 40g in weight can give us the sense of stability. However, if you decrease the weight to 10g, then we are able to feel the weight of food, making us more aware of the amounts of food that we are eating.

Form: Adding new elements to the general archetype of a spoon aims to give the sense of comfort in hand, but also makes using it more intimate. Changing the thickness of the handle can create more awareness when eating. Small amounts of food can become heavy, or big amounts of food increase awareness about the consuming moment.

How can we slow down the moment of one bite and taste enhanced sweetness, while nevertheless consuming less sugar? 'Tasty formulas', which have been created by Jinhyun Jeon, would help us to understand interesting ways of how we consume our food with the tasty cutlery for enhanced temperature/tactility/ colour/volume/weight/form, interpreted in synesthetic ways:
SWEET × 36.5°C = SWEET +++
SALTY × < 36.5°C = SALTY ++
SOUR × 36.5°C = SOUR × 100°C
BITTER × > 36.5°C = BITTER -­‐

SWEET + (0.5% × SALT) = SWEET ++
SALT ÷ SOUR = SALTY/SOUR -­‐
SALTY × SOUR = SWEET +

10% × (5R 4/14+5YR 4/14+5Y 4/14) = 2.0
90% × (5R 4/14+5YR 4/14+5Y 4/14) = 0.1
20% × R > 20% × Y

5cm3 × SOUND/ SIGHT = 10g × TOUCH
1mm × TOUCH > 10mm × TOUCH (y=f(x)) × TOUCH = Y

The post Tableware as Sensorial Stimuli
by Jinhyun Jeon appeared first on Dezeen.