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Tue 22 Apr 2008
UK’s First Ever Mood Inducing Menu
UK’S FIRST EVER MOOD INDUCING MENU LAUNCHED BY LEEDS’ RESTAURANT
Leeds-based Italian restaurant chain Casa Mia has launched the UK’s first ever mood food menu containing a series of specially designed emotion evoking dishes.
The new menu has been created using a range of ingredients proven to increase the production of certain chemicals in the brain that are responsible for inducing different moods. And with a range of 12 dishes to choose from that evoke a series of six different emotions, diners can now control how they feel via their cuisine.
Delicious combinations available on the menu include libido-livening fresh asparagus with smoked oysters and truffle oil, alertness-boosting seared king scallops with soy sauce and happiness-inducing warm melted chocolate pudding with dark homemade chocolate ice-cream.
Alternatively, diners can choose from other tasty dishes on the menu that promise to boost memory, increase brain function or create a sense of calm.
Speaking about the new menu, Francesco Mazzella, owner of Casa Mia, said: “It’s no secret that Italians love their food and view it as more than just something to refuel with. Instead we believe that what you eat really affects how you feel, which is why we decided to create the mood food menu.
“Prior to creating the menu we spent a long time researching different foods and the different chemicals and subsequent moods they evoke, as well as consulting a top nutritionist for expert advice. We were then able to combine the findings with our knowledge of authentic Italian ingredients to create a series of delicious mood boosting dishes for diners to enjoy.”
Working in conjunction with Casa Mia to develop the menu was top nutritionist Adrian Cartlidge from Nutripro. He added: “Research has shown for some time that brain chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and acetylcholine influence the way we think and behave and that the production of these chemicals is directly affected by what we eat. That is why some foods are referred to as ‘brain food’.
“Foods can create many different mood-related effects and that is why it has been possible to create a menu containing mood-boosting dishes. For example, we know that eating fish and soy products helps to increase dopamine and norepinephrine, which leads to increased alertness and concentration, whereas foods that contain slow releasing energy like pasta release serotonin in the brain that produces a calming effect. Using this knowledge, Casa Mia has been able to create a menu that really will enable diners to choose what to order based on how they want to feel.”
With six different mood effects on offer and a combination of 12 dishes, there’s sure to be something to suit everyone, whether they want to boost their brain power prior to an important interview or increase their libido before a night of romance.
The mood-changing menu is available from today at both Casa Mia Millennium in Millennium Square and Casa Mia Grande on Harrogate Road. People wanting to try out the new menu for themselves should call 0870 4445154 to make a reservation or visit www.casamiaonline.com.