In recent months, thanks to the internship I did at Altermakers, I immersed myself in the world of creativity and innovation. These two themes, linked to the Everyone at the Table project! , guide my master 2 thesis: the culinary innovation process of Mexican chefs in France. How does creativity come about in the kitchen? Does cultural diversity have an influence on creation? Can we innovate in terms of dishes? In this article, I'd like to share a bit of what I've found on this topic.

In the first place, it is necessary to separate creativity and innovation, because, although they are linked, they are two different concepts. The innovation process involves creation, but also management, which means that there is an idea, but in order to realize it, it will be necessary to take into account the resources and limitations available. Creativity, on the other hand, focuses more on generating ideas with the aim of creating something completely new or finding an alternative to what already exists. At this stage, we do not take into account the means necessary to go from the imaginary to the reality, because the objective is to have all the possible solutions to solve the problem. In this sense, the ideal is that there is no judgment, that is, no distinction between “good” and “bad” ideas, but that they are generated in as many numbers as possible.

It is important to note that creativity, although it is a mental activity that everyone develops in a different way, is not considered an individual act, but as a collective act. Creativity is the result of a series of interactions with the company or companies that we have lived in. In the creative process, the individual is not always aware of being creative, but there are phases or stages where creativity is fully expressed, for example when writing, cooking, or in moments of leisure.

Likewise, there are various methods for inducing its development, such as Alter'Storming, which allows, through collaboration with makers, to generate ideas to accelerate projects and give life to innovation, by moving from design (head) to implementation (hands). On the other hand, personalities like Ferràn Adrià consider that there are other factors that can help creativity, for example, time limits. According to him, there are thousands of possibilities in a creative process, but having pressure makes creativity develop more quickly.‍

The sources of creativity and innovation‍

As already mentioned, the creative process is not an individual act, the ideas that arise have diverse origins external to the solitary individual. Several authors have proposed the different ways in which ideas are born, this is the case of the seven conditions described by Steven Johnson that Paul-Hubert des Mesnards summarizes in This article. For example, slow intuition, where he mentions that Creativity needs time, because the individual does not always have a complete vision instantly. You can have an idea, but it will need time to incubate and develop. Sometimes you have to stop for a while, stop looking for ideas and then come back a bit later to clear your mind. In the same way, one can turn to other people, as a different vision can complement the initial idea. Interactions with other individuals can generate innovation with more potential.

On the other hand, sometimes we try to find a solution and we end up finding one that was not planned. In this sense, it is a so-called “natural” phenomenon, because it does not follow the forced line of creation for marketing. It's about serendipity, where innovation comes about by chance or by accident. Jean Fox develops this theme in Another article, where he mentions that accidents can lead to innovation. Some examples are mistakes that end up becoming new products, such as the case of whipped cream or Post-its.

Regarding food...

In the food industry, food companies are constantly innovating by creating new products based on trends set by society and, in some cases, looking for solutions to problems. An example of this is the growing demand for plant-based products and, with it, the appearance of hamburger meat substitutes or the creation of vegetable drinks such as soy or almond drinks. Another current problem is the large quantity of packaging that affects the environment. Businesses are innovating by giving them a second use as The pizza box that turns into a balloon, or by finding new uses for materials that are usually discarded, such as The remains of sugar cane.

Using a culinary approach, Frédéric Zancanaro, in his doctoral thesis on the creative process in culinary art, explains the different sources of the creation of star chefs, mainly related to the social interactions they have with their environment, among them:

• The texts: recipe books, gastronomic magazines...
• The life cycle: their trips abroad, personal stories...
• As a way to solve a problem: whether technical, organizational or human.
• The company's request: organic, vegan, gluten-free...
• Interactions with the professional world: other chefs, teachers...

In Everyone at the Table! , where professionals and food lovers meet to create new dishes, we can clearly see the innovation process and the method of creation. In this project, the creativity of each of the participants comes largely from their personal history. For example, Hugues Marrec focuses on the dishes he discovered during his travels around the world, while Louna is more interested in family food. In the Franco-Mexican pairs, everyone brings something from their culture, both in terms of ingredients and techniques, which is also observed in the case of the duo formed by Moutaz and chef Damien.

In this sense, it can be observed that creativity in the kitchen is not only linked to experience, but that it can also appear when a person is an amateur. On the other hand, it is not limited to the present, but looks to the past and the future. From these observations, it is possible to see that in the food sector, there are certain forms of inspiration for innovation:

• The culinary heritage: for example the family, with the transmission of recipes. We can thus see that in the adaptation of recipes, there is a form of creativity, which plays between tradition and innovation. Everyone can adapt their own recipes, by adding an ingredient according to personal taste or by changing a technique.
• The life story: tourist trips or experiences in another country inspire us to create, first of all through the discovery of this country, but at the same time with the sharing of our identity.
• LEncountering diversity: or of age, culture, professional level, for example, culinary sharing between a grandmother and her son, between two different cultures, between a chef and an amateur, can enrich innovation.
• Past mistakes: Failing in the kitchen can be sad, but not wanting to waste leads us to look for other ways to take advantage of the mistake.
• The need to make a difference: innovate to differentiate yourself from the other. For example, in the case of a market full of plant-based drinks, how can my brand make a difference?
• The observation: even if we have not traveled, watching what others are doing can be a source of innovation, even if they are in our social circle or very far away, through the media. At the same time, it's good to look at other areas that can inspire food, such as beauty.
• Projection into the future: be inspired by the food challenges of the future, to innovate in the present in order to change it. This is the case of delivery, how to improve it so that it is viable in the future.
• Play with techniques: Sometimes, to try to change, you have to know the field well, this is the case with pastry, a profession that is almost accurate. One way to innovate in this environment is to master the basic rules and to play with your imagination.

This list is not exhaustive, it is open to other forms of innovation, where individual trajectories are combined with collective interactions. It is necessary to take into account that greater attention should be paid to culinary creativity, as food goes beyond simply eating, but also takes into account the symbolic aspect. Claude Fischler expresses it in the principle of incorporation, individuals only consume what they know, because when they eat, they integrate the identity of this food into themselves and collectively, they integrate into a group.

References

Zancanaro Frederic, The production process of works in contemporary French culinary art, Doctoral thesis in sociology, University Toulouse — Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, 2016, p. 677.

Fischler Claude, The homnivore: the taste, the cooking, the body. Paris: O. Jacob, 2001, p. 448.

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