Yes, you read that correctly, someone has actually made edible 3D printed chicken and then cooked it with lasers. But why would anyone do this?
A team of scientists from Columbia University are the brains behind this futuristic meal, as they explore the concept of precision cooking. According to the scientists, the aim of the experiment was to enable "more creative food design," but we're not convinced that this is the best way to go about it. The experiment has thrown up some bizarre results, like what coloured laser works best to cook your chicken, and how lasers alter the taste of your favourite poultry dishes. If you fancy experimenting with your own 3D printer, make sure you check out our roundup of the best 3D printers.
The team of scientists, who published their findings on NPJ Science of Food, used raw chicken puree to 3D print the chicken, then a number of blue and red lasers to precisely cook it. According to the video, the different coloured lasers actually caused the chicken to cook in different ways. The blue lasers are best for 'penetrative cooking', whereas red lasers are best for browning — well, the more you know!
We definitely don't fancy trying 3D printed laser chicken, especially when it apparently tastes slightly metallic. We quite enjoy the thought that the lasers will be able to cook/brown the chicken in different patterns, but this feels like a slightly useless ability to have (especially from the point of view of a vegetarian.)
This isn't the first time we have seen 3D printed food, in fact, it's actually on our list of the 12 ways 3D printing changed the world. We also saw KFC print its own 3D chicken — and it was a thing of nightmares.
Surprise, surprise, the internet has plenty to say about this futuristic chicken dish, with users taking to Twitter and Reddit to discuss it. Lots of users pointed out the similarity to Star Trek's Replicator, which could create whole meals on-demand. But most people were on the same wavelength as us and wondered why anyone would want to eat laser-cooked chicken.
this_3dprinted_chicken_breast_was_cooked_with from r/technology
While we hope we don't have to try this any time soon, we can appreciate that this is an interesting discovery and 3D printed chicken is an innovative idea. If you're looking for your own 3D printer, make sure you check out today's best deals below.
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