Food Archives | Moss and Fog

Documentary Film

The Holy Donut in Maine Makes Gluten-Free Donuts Worth Driving Across the State For

February 13, 2025 Documentary Film

The Holy Donut opened in Portland, Maine, with one distinguishing feature: the donuts contain mashed potato, which gives them a density and chew that a standard ring donut can’t match. The gluten-free versions have become the unexpected obsession of people who don’t typically think much about gluten-free anything. They sell out most days before noon.

Since being diagnosed with Celiac disease several years ago, there have been many things I’ve missed while being on a strict gluten-free diet.

But there’s something about the simple beauty and deliciousness of a donut that I miss more than just about anything. Here’s some delicious (and torturous, for me) donut love. Mmm…..

Animals

Why Hot Chocolate Tastes Better in an Orange Cup: The Science of Color and Taste

December 10, 2024 Animals

The relationship between color and taste perception has fascinated researchers for decades, and the science behind it is more surprising than most people expect. Studies continue to confirm what this piece explored: that the vessel you drink from changes not just how a drink looks, but how your brain interprets its flavor. It’s a reminder that eating and drinking are never purely about the food itself.

Hot Chocolate Tastes Much Better In an Orange Cup, and other interesting facts about perception.

Via Gizmodo:

Scientists have discovered that an orange or creme-colored cup definitely makes chocolate taste better, while a white or red cup will not enhance the flavor. The discovery demonstrates once again that our taste buds are definitely influenced by the colors our eyes perceive.

Published in the Journal of Sensory Studies, the research by scientists at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and Oxford University involved 57 participants. They had to taste the same type of hot chocolate in cups of four external colors—white, creme, red and orange—and white interior. The results were clear: all of them thought the chocolate in the orange and creme cups was better than the others, even while it was the exact same type. Some even said that the chocolate in the creme cups tasted sweeter and was more aromatic.

We already knew that the color of food itself may affect our perception of taste. A spicy meal, for example, will be perceived as hotter than the same food if it’s more red. We also knew that containers themselves may affect the flavor but the relationship is still not well understood. There are no common rules, and changes depend on the food itself, says Betina Piqueras-Fiszman, one of the authors of the study:

The color of the container where you serve food and drinks can enhance some of its attributes, like flavor and aroma. There’s no fixed rule to tell which color enhances what food. This varies depending on the type of food but the truth is that the effect is there. Companies should pay more attention to the container because it has a lot more potential than what you imagine.

The same team has conducted other experiments that confirm all this. One showed that strawberry mousse tastes more intense and sweet in a white plate as opposed to a black one. Soda and lemon-based beverages are more refreshing and lemony in a blue can, while those in pink vessels are perceived as sweeter (which explains Tab). Coffee is affected too; a brown packaging makes its taste stronger and more aromatic, while red makes it less strong and yellow or blue make it smoother. [El Mundo—In Spanish]

Branding/Identity

These Beverage Can Redesigns Are So Beautiful They’re Almost Too Good to Recycle

September 6, 2024 Branding/Identity

A good packaging redesign does something the original didn’t: it makes you pick the thing up. These beverage can concepts from several studios take that challenge seriously, treating the humble aluminum can as a small graphic design problem worth genuine attention. Some of them are so well done they almost make the drink sound better.

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In recent months, several big companies have rolled out new packaging design for their beverages. Churchkey Beer released an oldschool can that needs a ‘churchkey’ to open, which is both fun and frustrating. Budweiser released a bow tie-shaped can that holds less beer than the standard 12 ounces, but looks cool while doing it. And now Coke has a new Sharing Can that is two mini cans scrunched together to make for a fun split-apart action. Here’s a slew of clever can designs.

aluminum-can russian-beer-cans churchkey-beer original

Food & Drink

5 Enormously Edible Thanksgiving Records

November 25, 2021 Food & Drink

Thanksgiving is a holiday of gratitude, of giving back, and of coming together. It’s also one centered around a large meal, and it’s one of the most food-centric days of the year.

Lots of us will eat to excess on Thanksgiving, with a dinner spread that takes an entire day to put together. But will your meal measure up to some of these record-breaking ones?

We’ve gathered some Thanksgiving-related statistics from the Guinness Book of World Records. Additional stats from Insider.

1. Largest Turkey of All Time

Tyson was the heaviest turkey ever, weighing in at 86 pounds. That’s almost four times larger than most average turkeys, which themselves are large birds. Tyson was from Peterborough, UK.

2. World’s Biggest Pumpkin Pie

At over 20 feet in diameter, the world’s biggest pumpkin pie certainly takes….the cake. Over 3,699 pounds, the enormous pie was baked by New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers in Ohio. Better invite the neighbors over…

3. Fastest Turkey Carving

Carving a turkey isn’t everyone’s favorite job, as it needs to be done carefully, avoiding bones, and making the most of the bird. It can often take upward of an hour. But not for Paul Kelly, who carved an entire turkey in 3 minutes and 19 seconds.

4. Largest Serving of Mashed Potatoes

Jason Lin, Colin Stockdale, Tyler Hubeny, and Evan Armstrong went for the record, and succeeded, making an enormous 2,641 pounds of mashed potatoes. We can only imagine how long that took to peel and boil!

5. Largest number of people dressed like turkeys

‘Turkey Trot’ runs have become Thanksgiving traditions, where people do charity races and runs. At the 2011 Turkey Trot in Dallas, Texas, over 660 people dressed up in costume.

Art

Impressive Food Typography

August 24, 2020 Art

In a series of fun type lettering, we see ingredients elegantly spelled out using the actual product itself. “Honey” is glisteningly gold, while “Anchovies” is scrawled from the salty fish. From design studio Side by Side , it’s a playful and well executed series, including some of the behind-the-scenes moments, showing just how painstaking a project like this can be. Via IG:

Food & Drink

The ‘Farmers of Instagram’ in the Age of Covid-19

June 8, 2020 Food & Drink

The global pandemic has had a huge impact on farmers, with billions of tons of fresh produce going to waste as stores, restaurants, and farmer’s markets suddenly closed. Grocery stores have stayed busy, yet so many traditional routes that produce gets to market have changed, and it’s taken creative approaches to get some of that fresh produce directly to consumers, to avoid wasting it.

The New York Times has an interesting read about a movement to take finding produce into the digital age, with small farms and cooperatives selling directly to consumers using Instagram and their websites. We think it’s a great way to build relationships with farmers directly, and obviously good for the planet to save food from being wasted. Additionally, the prices and quality that people are getting at these small farms are generally much better than at traditional stores.

Really nice artwork that accompanies the article by creative duo Young Jerks.

Food & Drink

Food in Flight by Pavel Sablya

December 12, 2019 Food & Drink

We appreciate the beauty of food photography, especially when it feels so alive, like this series by Pavel Sablya. Captured in midair, and with detailed precision, we see everything from sushi to pancakes, granola to spaghetti. If this series doesn’t make you hungry, maybe you just finished a meal? Really nice work, via InspirationGrid:

Art

Feast Your Eyes on This Delicious Food Imagery

November 11, 2018 Art

Food photography and video an art, first to make the food look great, and then to make it look good on camera.

This video by michael roulier for David Jones is a testament to great food styling and photography, with each shot a beautifully framed and captured moment. The pacing is quick, the movements are exciting, and the food looks absolutely exquisite. A knife fiercely crunches through fresh bread, pomegranates fall from the camera, and champagne explodes with bokeh-like perfection. Seriously, yum.

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Colors

Ruby Chocolate, Naturally Pink and Delicious

September 8, 2017 Colors

Chocolate has been a delicacy for hundreds of years, coming from the cocoa bean. A beautiful, naturally pink variety called the Ruby cocoa bean, is now set to impact the world of chocolate with it’s lovely color and “berry-fruitiness and luscious smoothness”.

The new pink chocolate color comes from a secret process from Barry Callebaut in Switzerland, and they’re not about to share how they take these pink beans from pod to chocolate bar. Indeed, the company is talking about their discovery of the potential “4th type of chocolate”, after milk, dark, and white. Read more in the New York Times:

This chocolate doesn’t have any berry flavoring or red coloring. It is made from the “Ruby bean,” and “the Ruby bean is unique because the fresh berry-fruitiness and color precursors are naturally present.”

Art

Kyle Bean’s Artisan Brunch

June 1, 2017 Art

Ever wonder what a famous artist has for brunch? Kyle Bean has a series of strange and funny pieces, referencing famous artists and artisans, and their style of work. Bean has collaborated with photographer Aaron Tilley and food stylist Lucy-Ruth Hathaway to create this inventive and creative series of brunch photos. See below for their references. Via DesignBoom:

kyle bean moss and fog 1 — Alexander Calder’s mobiles, in brunch form

kyle bean moss and fog 3 — Cornelia Parker inspired hanging items

kyle bean moss and fog 4 — Damien Hirst’s famous formaldehyde boxes

Art

Chocolate Wrappers Showcase Peru’s Biodiversity

May 10, 2017 Art

Candela chocolate, born in Peru, has a wonderful new packaging from design firm Infinito, showcasing the diversity of ingredients of their South American home. This includes things we’re not familiar with, including casta ñas, quinua (not to be confused with quinoa), golden berry, and kiwicha. The vibrant packaging adds visual interest, and the novel ingredients make us want to try them all. Judge a chocolate bar by it’s cover? Don’t mind if we do. Via The Dieline:

Art

Black, White, and Blue Food by Greg Stroube

April 8, 2017 Art

Photographer Greg Stroube has a gorgeous series called Black, White, and Blue that takes food photography to a new level. Using decadent looking food set in color-specific moods, he’s created photographs that feel both old and new at once. The lighting is excellent. Not to mention them looking pretty delicious. Great work, via Behance:

Art

Kit Kat Sushi

February 3, 2017 Art

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In a bizarre twist of fate, Kit Kat, the American candy, has evolved into a whole brand of flavors and products in Japan. Flavors run the gamut from strawberry, to purple sweet potato, to red bean sandwich and wasabi (?!) Now for the Valentine’s season (very big in Japan), they’ve released a limited series of Kit Kat sushi, using puffed rice and actual nori. Go figure! Via UrDesign:

kit-kat-sushi-2 kit-kat-sushi-3 kit-kat-sushi-4

Art

Biodegradable Tableware: Art with Purpose

August 6, 2013 Art

The Mag has a look at some really clever biodegradable tableware that resembles food. Entitled Graft, this series of bioplastic PLA has elevated the disposable utensil to an artform.

Art

This Beautiful Fruit Infographic Is So Well-Designed It’s Worth Printing and Framing

May 31, 2013 Art

The brother of this fantastic fruit infographic is one all about vegetables. It’s so great that I own it and it hangs proudly in my kitchen. Last night as I ate dinner, in fact, I stared at the pantheon of vegetables, trying to figure out where my kale fit in, and what the heck some of the rarer vegetables were. Now Pop Chart Lab has an equally impressive poster out and it’s all about fruit! It’s a mere $30 right now, order yourself one and start learning about all sorts of fruits you’ve never heard of before! Via FastCoDesign:

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Food & Drink

Juice!

April 18, 2013 Food & Drink

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I was somewhat stunned walking down the drink aisle in Whole Foods the other day and seeing a 16 ounce bottle of juice selling for $10. I thought my $3 kombucha splurge was decadent. But apparently, these super-premium pressed juices are flying off shelves. The NYTimes has a colorful and interesting read on some of the latest juice trends, companies and ingredients on the market today. For instance, one bottle of BluePrint can have as much as six pounds of produce in it. Drink up.