Culinary encounters with the universe

CULINARY ENCOUNTERS
WITH THE UNIVERSE

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The Story
of the Planet Menu
Pure coincidence guided Rudi Pichler to the VEGA observatory.
Some may say it was fate. In May 2019 five days before an event, a
customer was still searching for a caterer for a small group of participants.
Rudi Pichler accepted the challenge and developed a 4-course menu
he titled „The Planet Menu“.
At that time Alfons Weißenbacher, CEO of Choros Concept, responsible
for Events at the VEGA Observatory, had already been looking for a
unique Catering Partner for the Observatory, who was creative and
innovativ enough to understand how to build culinary bridges and bring
the stars down to earth.
Meanwhile Rudi Pichlers movie „Lehrling der Zeit“ was just adapted by
the cinemas. A movie about the value of food, regionality and honest
producers. Values, Alfons Weissenbacher was looking for.
The stars aligned, the two met and after a few creative meetings „Spring“,
the first „Season of the Planets“ was born.
In 2020, the offer was extended to already three seasons.
The last season Winter joined and completed the menu after the
Pandemic on 24.02.2022.
„After I was diving into the matter of the Universe and its dimension I
felt really small. The Universe gave us plenty connections to create the
planet menu, which also was the challenge for us, to not get lost in this
infinite net of ideas. The basic requirement for the menu was: to use
the natural conditions of nature, to work with the technical possibilities
of the present and to build a culinary bridge between people and the
universe“, - Rudi Pichler.
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A New
Perspective
After every spice has been used and all the preparations were already
done, a new perspective is sometimes needed to go further and find
new ways of taste and cooking.
Luckily the vast Universe allows many different connections and themes
to use for taste experiments. Each Taste Topic can find its counterpart
in the Universe.
While we get inspired by the taste of a Star, we start to understand that
everything is connected and we are part of the universe. (At the end of
the day we are all nothing but stardust.)
Alfons Weissenbacher dedects the menu theme fitting to the seasonal
firmament. Constellations, asterism, science & greek mythology are
sources to develop the menu.
The serving and decorating of the dishes are inspired by the themes as
well. In this way Kerstin Wimmer, was inspired to create the Planet
Praline, which didn’t need further instructions. It took six months to
find the perfect Balance of Taste for each of the 8 Planets.
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Each Dish has its own story. Served together
they take you on a culinary
Trip through the Universe.
The spring edition
A Trip to Mars with the Falcon Heavy
The summer edition
The Earth and its siblings
The autumn edition
The Sun „Life Giver & Death Star“
The winter edition
Wintertime is startime
At pictures next, you can see the dishes
with different seasons!
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PLACE
The Planet Menu is served at the VEGA Observery, Salzburg. From
20 people up.
PRESENTATION
The menu is accompanied by images of impressive phenomena
of the universe and our galaxy on big screen.
EDUTAINMENT
Astronomers give a lecture about emotional facts of space and
time.
RUDI PICHLER
Rudi Pichler is presenting each course of the menu personally on
stage.
WINE PAIRING
Alfons Weissenbacher gives recommendations for the wine pairing
from
the in-house wine list.
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Photo by Nicolas Lobos on Unsplash
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EXPEDITION TO MARS
One of the most fascinating things for humans
is space travel.
Interesting fact: Most Astronomers get
into space travel before the start to
discover the sky.
The Menu begins with science itself and
the early beginnings of astronomy.
Then we start with the Falcon Heavy.
In our spaceship we enjoy space food „regional“
as we always do.
We finally land on Mars.
And watch the planets of our galaxy.
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SPRING EDITION
Expedition to Mars
APERO
The first step in the direction of Astronomy
Char / pearl spelled / lupine radishes
asparagus / blackcurrant wheat / hemp
STARTER
From the earth past the moon
Radicchio / wild herbs / onion / cauliflower / egg / rye bread
STARTER
Our spaceship Asparagus / Lado / Milk / Tomato
ENTRÉE
Cultivation of space food: nettle
MAIN DISH
Supply for the astronauts a`la Alain Ducasse
duck / potato / carrot
DESSERT
The Martian
strawberry / rhubarb / chocolate
PRALINE
Children of Helios
Raspberry I Hazelnut I Salted Caramel I Chili-Orange
Nougat Apricot I Blackberry I Coconut
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Photo by Richard Gatley on Unsplash
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THE EARTH AND ITS SIBLINGS
This menu was the first edition and birth
of the planet menu.
It also contains the signature dish
“The Sun“, which is served in the form
of a dotted ravioli with smoked beans and
dandelion pesto.
While enjoying the ravioli, the yolk pours
out like rays of sun over our entire solar
system.
The Menu starts with the development of
the earth in four chronologically
ordered scenarios from lava shot to Adam
and Eve.
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SUMMER EDITION
The Earth and its Siblings
APERO
The Earth
tomatoes / peppers / cream cheese / caramel / wheat / hemp oil / activated
charcoal / young beef / apple
STARTER
Venus
celery / peanut / quince / radicchio
STARTER
Sun
egg / butter / durum wheat / smoked curd/ blossoms
ENTRÉE
Mars
apple / rona / mountain ashes
MAIN DISH
Jupiter
calf / shiitake / wheat
DESSERT
Saturn
apricot / chocolate
PRALINE
Children of Helios
Raspberry I Hazelnut I Salted Caramel I Chili-Orange
Nougat Apricot I Blackberry I Coconut
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THE SUN
LIFE GIVERS & DEATH STAR
The autumn edition deals with the origin
of all life: The Sun.
Its heat and UV rays allow plants to grow
and all living beings to exist.
We deal with the creation of taste through
molecules, bring the spectrum of the sun
on the plate and try to taste the largest
living thing in the world.
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SURFACE OF THE SUN - FLARES
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Picture of the main dish „The red giant“

FALL EDITION
The Sun - Life Giver and Death Star
APERO
The Birth of a Sun
oxen / shitake / pea / corn / peanut wheat
sunflower oil / rock-salt / egg / smoked curd
STARTER
Spectroscopy
chioggar beets / smoked char / chives / char caviar / sour cream
STARTER
The largest creature in the world
hazelnut / pearled spelt / truffle
ENTRÉE
Surface of the
sun lemon / saffron / honey
MAIN DISH
The red giant
yellow turnip / fawn / semolina
DESSERT
The sun
sea buckthorn / chocolate
PRALINE
Children of Helios
Raspberry I Hazelnut I Salted Caramel I Chili-Orange
Nougat Apricot I Blackberry I Coconut
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WINTERTIME IS STARTIME
Asteroism Winter hexagon
Winter air is crystal clear, untouched by
rising thermals and dust swirls caused
by warm winds. You can see the winter
hexagon clearly in the sky.
Each star telling you its own story.
In this hexagon lives the red giant
Betelgeuse, which end and therefore
supernova was already predicted at
the end of 2021.
Perhaps this spectacle will happen in
100,000 years.. not a particularly
long time for the universe either.
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Mars

WINTEREDITION
TIME FOR STARS
APERO
Betelgeuze
Egg I Smoked Curd & Paprika I Wheat I Quark
Black Pudding & Saffron
STARTER
Orion
fawn I cress I rye
STARTER
Auriga
Goat Cheese I Wheat I Butter
ENTRÈE
Canis Minor & Canis Major
rabbit I semolina I truffle
MAIN DISH
Taurus
Young Bull I Crayfsh
Black Lentils I Red onion I Parsley
DESSERT
Pollux
Rose Hip I Yogurt
PRALINE
Children of Helios
Raspberry I Hazelnut I Salted Caramel I Chili-Orange
Nougat Apricot I Blackberry I Coconut
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Children of Helios
Pralines dedicated to planets
M MERCURY I Flavour: Raspberries
The largest temperature differences are found on the smallest planet
in our solar system. Raspberries are the right counterpart as they can
be eaten hot or ice cold.
V VENUS i Flavour: Hazelnut
The hazelnut is symbolizing the iron core of Venus. It is covered in a
chocolate ganache and nuts from Piemont, Italy.
E EARTH I Flavour: Salt caramel
More than two thirds of our home, the planet earth is covered by
saltwater! Salty Caramels are therefore the perfect match for our
little blue planet.
M MARS I Flavour: Chili - Orange
When we think about the red planet with its sharp and rocky surface
we got the idea of a chili chocolate ganache paired with orange zest.
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J JUPITER I Flavour: Nougat
The praline counterpart of the largest planet in our solar system was
filled with nougat to create a grand and intense taste.
S SATURN I Flavour: Apricot
Science believes that Saturn has a small rock as a core inside. Since
Apricot also has a small core inside, we chose to use its familiar taste
with this well known planet.
N NEPTUN I Flavour: Coconut
For the last and one of the most compact and giant planets of our
solar system we chose to use the tough coconut as a counterpart.
The sweet taste inside of it is a symbol for what comes next:
The Milky Way.
U URANUS I Flavour: Blackberry
To represent the blue, ice giant Uranus we chose a mix of blackberry
and white chocolate.
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THE TASTE OF PLANETS
The Finale of each Menu are the eight planets of
Their chocolate counterparts were exclusively cre
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our galaxy. Each with its own story.
ated by the Chocolatier Kerstin Wimmer.
8 planets
8 praline
8 different taste
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VOYAGER GOLDEN RECORD
f.ex. with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
„Hell‘s vengeance boils in my heart“
queen of the night : 2nd aria
CHOROS CONCEPT GMBH
Grazer Bundesstraße 26a I 5023 Salzburg
+43 662 4360 1110 I office@choros-concept.com
www.choros-concept.com
Images from Doppelkopf-Studio, Pexels, Unsplash and ESA
This burchure is printed carbon-neutral thanks to ClimatePartner.