De Likknikkerbaan
A playful full body sensory taste experiment

Year of project: 2017
Client: STRP Biënnale - Sensory Gym
In collaboration with: Tim Scheffer
Student team: Elzelinde van Doleweert, Laila Snevele, Simon Bavinck, Merle Bergers

De Likknikkerbaan

The Likknikkerbaan is a challenge in which two players can test their tongue agility and taste sensation. Two lickers are standing face to face, while using only their tongue to move a 'lick marble' across the track. Each marble includes four different ingredients that together form one dish. Who has the fastest time? And who has the best tasting ability? For every correctly guessed ingredient players get bonus points! 

Tongue taboo & intimacy

Our tongue is one of the best developed muscle of our body. We need it for talking, eating and tasting. And yes, we also associate this pink, slippery, weird part of our body with sex, which instantly makes our tongue a subject of taboo. 

The Likknikkerbaan invites everyone, especially adults, to step outside their comfort zone and play a game in public with someone they do or don't know while mainly using their tongue. A little bit weird, uncomfortable or embarrassing? Yes, perhaps :) 

Flavors and texture pairings

We developed four dishes, each consisting out of four different ingredients. The ingredients are turned into flavor-pads using agar-agar. Every flavor has a different texture that enhances the flavor and overall sensory experience. For example and ingredient high in acidity like lime has a more sharp texture, a creamy butter flavor has a more rounded, nipple-like shape.  To keep food waste as low as possible, we mostly used essence. 

Example of dishes:
Sushi | cucumber, rice, soy sauce and nori
Apple pie | apple, cinnamon, raisin, butter