Edinburgh International Science Festival 2014: 5 GastroFest highlights

• Niki Boyle
• 24 March 2014

Sensation

Including Jelly & Gin's Sensation, the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and The Feast of the Commonwealth

Sensation

Edinburgh-based food pioneers Jelly & Gin host a sequel of sorts to last year’s Sensory Dining, with a selection of delicious food installations designed to explore the flavours, textures, shapes and smells of our food.
Summerhall, Edinburgh, Sat 5 Apr.

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

Far from your average kitschy, Alice in Wonderland-themed event, this adults-only Tea Party will delve into the science of intoxication, with discussion topics ranging from opium dens to zombie caterpillars. There’ll be some experimental treats and a specially foraged soup to slurp up as well, so it might be time to overcome that suspicion of anything labelled ‘Eat me’.
Summerhall, Edinburgh, Sat 5 Apr.

LateLab: Atmosphere / Soylent Green

‘Expanded cinema’ crew Atmosphere present a special screening of the classic Charlton Heston sci-fi flick, in which mega-corporation Soylent Industries believes it has found a solution to world hunger. Learned bio-boffins will be on hand to answer questions raised in the film, with reference to the real-life sciences of algaculture and synthetic biology.
Appleton Tower, Edinburgh, Sat 5 Apr.

GastroLab: RGB Cocktail Party

Find out how colour alters our perception with food designer and artist Emilie Baltz at this alcohol-friendly LateLab session, with live visuals from DJ Steve Gibson ‘to complement each of the three phases of mixology’.
Appleton Tower, Edinburgh, Sun 6 Apr.

The Feast of the Commonwealth

As part of the countdown to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July, the Science Festival marks ‘100 days to go’ with an adults-only gala dinner, featuring input from leading chef Neil Forbes, Edinburgh Medal recipient Dr Prof Mary Abukutsa-Onyango and a selection of local and global scientists and culinary stars.
Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, Fri 11 Apr.