Years ago, in a Saturday Night Live bit, comedian George Carlin bemoaned the dearth of blue food, bellowing, “Where is the blue food? We want the blue food! Probably [grants] immortality! They’re keeping it from us!”
Immortality? In a sense. It turns out that the color blue is an appetite suppressant. For whatever reason, blue doesn’t activate our “yum” response. A clever Japanese company has taken advantage of this fact to offer blue-tinted sunglasses that you can wear as a dieting aid (found via the Food & Wine blog). Pop on the glasses, and all food turns such a queasy shade that you’ll be shedding the pounds in no time.
If you’re dubious about whether blue food really is unappetizing, just check out the entries in the Amateur Gourmet’s Blue Food Parade from last year. (Personally, I don’t think the blueberry pie really counts; it’s more purple than blue.)
Still not convinced? Fine, then. Why not throw an all-blue dinner party?
I tried Thomas Keller’s Cauliflower Gratin (made before, love) with purple cauliflower (very blue when cooked) and couldn’t get it down my throat.
I think there is something to it!
Didn’t Bridgette Jones make blue soup? But I think that was from shoestrings.