Culinary theatre is the creation or enhancement of a spectacle during the service of food and beverages. This form of theatrics aims to excite or even entertain the diner, patron or customer, usually without affecting the flavour of the food(s) and/or beverage(s) to be consumed. In its simplest form, this may include candles and/or
sparkler
A sparkler is a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames, sparks, and other effects.
Sparklers are particularly popular with children. In the United Kingdom, a sparkler is often used by child ...
s placed on a birthday cake, which give a dining room an exciting ambiance.
Culinary theatrics in food service
It is a long established practice in many
restaurant
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
s and eateries to combine some element of theatrics into the dining experience for their patrons.
Crêpes Suzette
Crêpes Suzette () is a French dessert consisting of crêpes with ''beurre Suzette'' (), a sauce of caramelized sugar and butter, tangerine or orange juice, zest, and Grand Marnier, triple sec or orange Curaçao liqueur on top, flambéed tables ...
, when served in medium to high-end restaurants, is traditionally served by being bussed out from the kitchen, and set alight just before being placed on the patron's table.
Flair bartending
The practice of enhancing the presentation of beverages, and especially
cocktails
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...
, by use of theatrics became increasingly elaborate over the 20th century. Such enhancement may include highly skilled and very fast-paced throwing, spinning, catching and juggling of liquor bottles (to the point of being a feature of the 1988 film
''Cocktail'').
See also
*
Flambé
:''Flambé is also a type of ceramic glaze.''
Flambé (, , ; also spelled flambe) is a cooking procedure in which alcohol is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames. The word means "flamed" in French.
Flambéing is often associated with t ...
References
Culinary arts
Serving and dining
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