Percy Jackson likes blue food

Blue beans from my garden

Just in case you don't know, this is Percy Jackson. I love reading kids' books and Max, Arantxa and I are all waiting impatiently for the release of the next Percy Jackson book (Autumn 2012, unfortunately it must be the Northern hemisphere's Autumn, not the down-under one! ;-( !!).

Percy Jackson is a demigod so he eats nectar and ambrosia among other things, but the most fun fact for a food writer is that he likes blue food (being the son of Poseidon and all that sea connection...). So his Mum gives him blue coloured treats, like blue cake and drinks and stuff and (what a coincidence) Percy is ADHD.

Well, in the story being ADHD is due to the fact that he is a demigod (dyslexia is another sign of 'demigodness'), not because he had eaten food heavily colored with tar. And yes, studies connecting artificial colours in food with children's behavior are still ongoing, but some countries have banned some types of blue food colouring, and I like to be very careful about them too.

Only very occasionally I used blue food coloring, and always in tiny quantities, mostly for a pale china blue icing. Generally I prefer to use natural dye, like juice from berries, or spirulina and green tea, or spices... but blue, so hard to come by! And like Percy Jackson I too like blue food, I was so happy when the last beans we harvest in our garden were blue!

My favourite bowl (Japanese)

I also read somewhere that if you serve food in a blue plate it is less appetizing.... funny enough my favorite bowl is blue (a bit old now, but I love it!) and I have a collection of blue tablecloths. And to complete the disgrace, my kitchen is blue, a shocking colour according to some experts: blue and food are just a no-no!

BTW, blue is not my favorite colour, I prefer yellow and green, so I don't know why I particularly like blue when connected to food. When I can find natural blue food, like blueberries and borage flowers... well, I am in heaven. Grapes, blackberries, eggplants, violets, nori seaweed that almost looks blue... every time I can I try to add blue to my colour palette, I even have a green and blue board on Pinterest. 

Let me know if you also like blue in food, and maybe give me some suggestions on how to get more natural blue on my plate :-). Also let me know if you like Percy Jackson ;-)!

Egg tarts decorated with blueberries and borage flowers

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©