BENGALURU: When we talk about healthy food, one can imagine a rainbow of colours - plenty of greens and proteins on the plate. Nobody would think of unpleasing charcoal in their food. What started as a fun experiment with incorporating activated charcoals in dishes has today become a serious trend with the best of city-based restaurants dedicating larger menu space to these dishes, and most importantly, it has gained
increasing acceptance among young and social-savvy diners.

Chef Uchit Vohra, executive chef at ITC Gardenia, explains how activated charcoal is created. “It is formed from carbon-containing material, which is heated at high temperatures to create charcoal. It is then oxidised, a process known as activation, hence the name.”

Activated charcoal is an ingredient with multiple health benefits, which is one of the primary reasons why it became popular across the country in such a short time. However, is it as healthy as being actively promoted?

Tanmoy Majumder, executive chef at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton, says, “Its porous texture has a negative electrical charge, which causes it to attract positively charged molecules, such as toxins and gases. It is used as an ingredient for its detox benefits. Talking about its additional benefits, Sombir Choudhary, outlet chef at Farzi Café adds, “It has potential to lower cholesterol, reduce gas and it is also a good detox agent and great for skin.”

As a counter, Colin Dsouza, co-founder of Cone.Fit who has coached more than 300 people from 20 countries for weight loss, says that he does not recommend activated charcoal as there is  little to no scientific evidence to support its benefits. He says it has more to do with being molecular gastronomy pop-culture.

It is interesting to see how city based hotels and restaurants are using activated charcoal in different forms. At Farzi Café, it is used in Appam and steam burger buns, The Bier Library uses it for Pizza Nero, whereas Ottimo and Cubbon Pavilion at ITC Gardenia use activated charcoal for making breads and dim sums respectively. At XOOX, it is used for stuffed pork burger with charcoal bun, charcoal pita bread and charcoal tuile. Interestingly, The Open Box makes keema mattar charcoal samosa and Maziga uses it for its lentil pancakes. Sheraton Grand makes breads, sauces, desserts and cakes and other bakery items, whereas The Den uses it in sandwiches, macarons and beverages. DoubleTree uses it for various bakery items including macaroons, edible chocolate, breads and as dusting on salads.

Aesthetic matters

According to Rekhansh Karamchandani, MD, XOOX Brewmill, a careful colour palette is created to bring in harmony on the plate using contrast or brighter ingredients. “Touch and feel of the dish is decided in conjunction with whether charcoal is used just like a colouring agent or as a foam,” says Karamchandani.
While there is no denying the fact that the black colour makes a dish look interesting, one cannot discourage the importance of balancing other elements. James Olivera, Executive Pastry Chef at The Den, believes that the tasteless characteristic of charcoal, allows it to be used according to the desired palette.
Activated charcoal has picked up pace in the last two years but how long will it entertain diners is a question yet to be answered. Javed Ahamad, executive chef, Maziga, is not very optimistic about it. He says, it will be surprising if the trend is around next year.Concluding on a positive note, Gaurav Anand, executive chef at Sheraton Grand, says, “The response from diners have been overwhelming, they have been open to experimenting with new ingredients.”