Louise Knoppert designed a set of utensils for people who have trouble eating and drinking. Louise Knoppert
Louise Knoppert designed a set of utensils for people who have trouble eating and drinking.
The dip is a tool that you dip in a paste then brush onto the tongue. The ribbed plastic is meant to stimulate mouth feel. Louise Knoppert
The dip is a tool that you dip in a paste then brush onto the tongue. The ribbed plastic is meant to stimulate mouth feel.
A small piece of flavored ice is frozen onto this stick. It reintroduces the sensation of cold. Louise Knoppert
A small piece of flavored ice is frozen onto this stick. It reintroduces the sensation of cold.
The Tingle tool deposits crackling bits of candy onto the tongue that melt away like Pop Rocks. Louise Knoppert
The Tingle tool deposits crackling bits of candy onto the tongue that melt away like Pop Rocks.
This tool uses ultrasonic/atomizer technology to create smoke from a flavorful liquid, says Knoppert. The rings around the top are there for texture. Louise Knoppert
This tool uses ultrasonic/atomizer technology to create smoke from a flavorful liquid, says Knoppert. The rings around the top are there for texture.
This sponge can be dipped in flavoring then squeezed in tiny amounts into the mouth. Louise Knoppert
This sponge can be dipped in flavoring then squeezed in tiny amounts into the mouth.
The roller tool deposits flavors directly onto taste buds. Louise Knoppert
The roller tool deposits flavors directly onto taste buds.
You shake the little plastic tube to create foam, then squeeze it out onto the bumpy surface. Inside the mouth, the foam tastes like beetroot and fades to a tingly sensation without having to swallow it. Louise Knoppert
You shake the little plastic tube to create foam, then squeeze it out onto the bumpy surface. Inside the mouth, the foam tastes like beetroot and fades to a tingly sensation without having to swallow it.
This tool deposits a pinch of powder onto the tongue that eventually melts away. Louise Knoppert
This tool deposits a pinch of powder onto the tongue that eventually melts away.
It’s difficult to imagine life without our favorite foods, but plenty of people have no choice in the matter. Health issues can leave us unable to chew, swallow or process food. But it’s not just pizza and beer you forfeit when you get your nutrients through a feeding tube. You miss out on the entire culture of eating, too.
Dutch designer Louise Knoppert recently created a series of tools designed to enhance the tasting experience for people who aren’t able to eat or drink. Each of the nine tools in her Proef series delivers a little burst of flavor to provide the user with a totally new sensation.
Louise Knoppert
Take the foam device, for example. You shake the little plastic tube to create foam, then squeeze it out onto the bumpy surface. Inside the mouth, the foam tastes like beetroot and fades to a tingly sensation, no swallowing required. The tingle stick deposits chunks of ginger-flavoring onto the tongue that crackle and melt like the Pop Rocks candy of your childhood. The purple-topped tool will spray a light sake-flavored mist into the mouth, while the swirly pink instrument is fig-flavored ice that’s used to stimulate through the cold sensation.
Four of the tools are designed for people who can’t swallow at all; the rest are for people with limited abilities. Knoppert designed her prototype set with Asian food in mind, though the flavors combinations are limitless. “You can change the flavor to Italian or Asian or whatever reminds you of Christmastime,” Knoppert explains.
The designer’s already received interest from doctors who say there’s little else out there that provides an enjoyable experience for people with limited eating capabilities. Most of the time, a sponge with lemon juice is dabbed around the lips, if only to keep the pH balance of the mouth in check. Knoppert’s tools are utilitarian but not without whimsy—they’re meant to make eating fun again for people who didn’t think that was possible. “I really tried to make it as far from medical as possible,” she says. “I really wanted to give them something beautiful that could bring them back to the dinner table.”
Where can these be purchased?
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