Robotic Taster Will Judge 'Real Thai Food'

HughPickens.com (3830033) writes The NYT reports that Thailand's former prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra repeatedly encountered a distressing problem while traveling the world: bad Thai food. Too often, she found, the meals she sampled at Thai restaurants abroad were unworthy of the name, too bland to be called genuine Thai cooking. The problem bothered her enough to raise it at a cabinet meeting. Even though her political party has since been thrown out of office, in a May military coup, the Thai government is unveiling its project to standardize the art of Thai food using a robot. The government-financed Thai Delicious Committee, which oversaw the development of the machine, describes it as "an intelligent robot that measures smell and taste in food ingredients through sensor technology in order to measure taste like a food critic." Thailand's National Innovation Agency has spent about $100,000 to develop the e-delicious machine. The e-delicious machine has 10 sensors that measure smell and taste, generating a unique fingerprint (signature) for each sample of food that passes its digital maw. Generally with electronic tasting, there are electronic sensors that work just like the taste buds on your tongue, measuring the quantity of various taste-giving compounds, acidity, etc. While these electronic sensors can't actually tell you how something tastes — that's a very subjective, human thing — they are very good at comparing two foods scientifically. Meanwhile at a tiny food stall along one of Bangkok's traffic-clogged boulevards, Thaweekiat Nimmalairatana, questioned the necessity of a robatic taster. "I use my tongue to test if it's delicious or not," said Nimmalairatana. "I think the government should consider using a human to gauge authenticity." Nakah Thawichawatt, who runs a business producing herbal supplements, has a vision for the machine that he says will take the next step in the digitization of our lives. The so-called e-delicious tasting machine would produce a digital signature of food at a particular restaurant. Consumers would then indicate their preferences on an app for mobile phones. The app would match consumers with their favorite tastes at other restaurants that participate in the program. "It's just like pressing 'like,' " says Thawichawatt. "You rate the food. Then we will know that you love that taste."

Comments

This is test equipment not a robot

[EmperorOfCanada]

I would no more call this a robot than I would call an xray machine a robotic innards examiner or a smoke detector a robot fireman's nose.

I would call it a robot if it wandered the streets of Bangkok smelling for the most Thai food and recording on a map where it found it.

Well .. most asian food in the US is crap

[OzPeter]

Asian restaurants in the US cater to what they the think the US public wants to consume and not what is "authentic" to their cuisine. While which probably makes for good economic sense, doesn't make for the best food experience. (As an extreme, Imagine how the local asian family restaurant in the US having a plate of fried chicken heads on its menu would fare).

But these restaurants are so ingrained with this practice that even if you go into a Thai restaurant and ask for the dish to be "Thai-hot", they'll ask if "you are sure about that?" and still dial it back to something that is only middling spicy.

So while I can agree with the sentiment of the TFA, it win;t going to happen. If anything its really just the new heads of Thailand flexing their muscles to show that their coup d'etat is the best thing for the country.

Re:Well .. most asian food in the US is crap

[Translation Error]

The offerings of ethnic restaurants in foreign countries are often adapted to better suit the tastes of the local people. Look at Chinese food in the US--it's quite different from what you'd get in China. Then look at Chinese food in Japan--it's different from both of the above. Or just look at pizza in Italy, multiple regions of the US, and Japan.

How to judge "real" Thai food

[HnT]

It's a given that Thai food is amongst the most delicious cuisines in the world so you only need to find the right place to eat! These two simple points should help:

1. Are you in Thailand? Many places around the world come close but it's never quite the same.

2. Is it packed full with locals with just enough space to squeeze in? If the place is packed full you can be sure it is great and this goes for small food stalls just as much as for nice restaurants! Thai people are passionate about food and eat out a lot so the good places will be very full; better stay away from the empty ones.

This is all you really need and you can be 98% certain before even having tried the food! chok dee krub!

Re:Moron

[slashmydots]

There is no flavor of spicy. Your tongue can't sense spicy. It's just a chemical that makes your mouth feel like it's on fire. People who are stupid enough to keep eating peppers stop feeling it as much and then can sort of taste the actual flavor. Otherwise peppers actually cover up the flavor. So people who like their mouth to work properly, didn't nuke all their taste buds, and like their digestive system to work properly don't add peppers to their dish in the first place.