Inhaling food: The new way to diet
A Harvard professor has come up with an intriguing alternative to eating and drink: Just breathe in flavor
Tired of chewing and swallowing? A Harvard professor has come up with a unique alternative to such mundane tasks — a machine called Le Whaf that turns food and drink into smoky clouds of flavor an epicurean can inhale. Here, a brief instant guide:
What does Le Whaf look like?
This "futuristic machine" resembles a cross between a huge goldfish bowl and a hookah pipe.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Does it work with any food or drink?
Not quite. For liquids, including alcohol, you simply pour 50 ml into the machine's base to get going. Solid foods, however, are trickier. Users must buy a special liquified version of the food, made by Le Whaf's inventors.
How does it work?
Le Whaf's base is filled with tiny crystals. When the machine is turned on, these crystals rapidly vibrate, creating ultrasound waves that transform liquids into clouds of tiny droplets that can then be inhaled.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Who invented it?
Le Whaf is the brain-child of David Edwards, a Harvard professor and aerosol scientist — who's "compared more often to Willy Wonka than Einstein" — and culinary designer Marc Bretillot. Edwards previously created a product called Le Whif, a small device that looks an asthma inhaler and allows users to inhale a quick fix of chocolate. He is also one of the founders of Pulmatrix, a pharmaceutical startup that is testing special aerosols (created much the same way that Le Whaf produces its flavor clouds) as a way to fight respiratory disease.
Is inhaling a calorie-free experience?
No. Anyone using Le Whaf (a.k.a. "whaffing") for 10 minutes is consuming roughly 200 calories. Still, "it's good for dieters," Edwards says. It's also a great way "for foodies to savour flavors."
Yum. Where can I get a Le Whaf of my own?
There are currently only two Le Whaf prototypes in existence, one of them in Paris. Edwards hopes to begin selling the machines in France later this year for less than $150.
Sources: Daily Mail, Telegraph, Ego Design
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Shopping trolleys: the new must-have accessory
Speed Read Sales are soaring as new designs help shed that old-fashioned image
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
5 ways to help the environment while on vacation
The Week Recommends An afternoon of planting trees could be the best part of your trip
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Doctors are taking on dental duties in low-income areas
Under the radar Physicians are biting into the dentistry industry
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published