Hot Iced Tea? Safe to drink?

[mollyanne]

Is it safe to drink a beverage that has had dry ice in it?
I just posted this photo in the "awesome food art" thread of Hot Iced Tea from the #2 restaurant in the world "The Fat Duck Restaurant" (El Bulli in Spain is #1) and it's got me in a quandry.

Here's a review from someone who ordered the Hot Iced Tea:
"Hot and ice tea. A single shot glass of tea with the left side hot and the right side cold, and nothing separating the two sides. The chemistry behind it led to much speculation at the table. I’m still trying to figure that one out."
Restaurant Review: The Fat Duck : Trespass

But is it safe to drink? And think of the many Halloween Punch Bowls at parties that float a mold of dry ice in the punch. By the way....did you know thatTonic Water will glow in the dark under ultra-violet light? What a dramatic effect.
Is that how the blue-glowing Martini called "Hypnotiq" at the Bonefish Grill is done? Yum btw. I digress. Back to the Hot Iced Tea...

"...the left side hot and the right side cold, and nothing separating the two sides..." How DID they do that?!

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[Selkie]

Dry Ice is another term for frozen CO2 (Carbon Dioxide). CO2 is the same stuff that makes soft drinks fizzy, and is what the bubbles are made of in champagne, so yes, it's safe. The worst that could happen is that you might get a case of gas.

 

[mollyanne]

good to know, selkie...

...but doesn't it also have nitrogen in it?

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[Hoot]

Apparently, Heston Blumenthal has written a cookbook called the Big Fat Duck Cookbook.
The instructions for this drink, ostensibly, are in it.
When I did a search for hot and ice tea, I ran up with the following website, which goes into some detail about making this beverage.
28. Hot and Iced Tea (Incomplete) « The Big Fat Undertaking

Near the bottom of the page there is a link to a youtube clip of how the drink is poured. In this clip, Heston Blumenthal is a guest on some
British talk show and pours the drink for the host and guests.

YouTube - Heston Blumenthal The Big Fat Duck Cookbook
Not sure, but this beverage seems to be quite involved to make.

 

[Selkie]

No, there's no nitrogen in it. But just to let you know, nitrogen is an inert gas and comprises about 78% of the air we breath.

 

[mollyanne]

I meant liquid nitrogen, selkie...i don't really know what i'm talking about but I think it's bad to injest

Thank you for that great info, Hoot! Very interesting and, yes, it looks like quite an involved process. The video takes some of the mystery out of the invisible hot/cold barrier though...that Heston is an unusual combination of artist & scientist...and he's a personable guy as well.

 

[Heatherbe]

This is very interesting. Thanks for the post!

 

[DaveSoMD]

Just DO NOT touch the dry ice!!!!!!!!!

 

[CharlieD]

Ah, even if you touch it no big deal, a ligh burn at worst. As kids we always would bag ice cream sallers to give us some dry ice and play with it. Icluding adding it to our drinks, and putting it small chunks into mouth and blowing smoke, pretending smoking. Kids do darnest things, and stupidest too.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I meant liquid nitrogen, selkie...i don't really know what i'm talking about but I think it's bad to injest

In order to pick up a container of liquid nitrogen you would have to be very well insulated. It is very cold and you would know just by looking at it not to touch, let alone drink. Liquid nitrogen is cold enough to freeze solid latex tubing and if you drop it it shatters like glass. I don't think I've ever seen a need for liquid nitrogen outside of a lab.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_nitrogen

 

[mollyanne]

Thank you for that info, Princess (and selkie and hoot too and all)...very interesting

I think they use liquid nitrogen to make the fog you see in stage productions for entertainment. They don't use dry ice as that only fogs when combined with a hot liquid and only last 10-15 minutes until the liquid cools off...it continues to bubble but significantly less. I believe I read that somewhere.

I was thinking there might be a little liquid nitrogen as part of the make-up of dry ice to aid it's fogging longevity. If there isn't then maybe there should be? I might be onto something...but then dry ice wouldn't be food-grade anymore.

I remember little bits and pieces of what I read...a little knowledge is a dangerous thing they say

But then again, I like what Kahlil Gibran said, "A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle".

Just whatever you do...keep me outta the science lab!!

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[PrincessFiona60]

Just whatever you do...keep me outta the science lab!! .

Dad ran the Chemistry stockroom at the Univ of Wyoming for years. I learned all sorts of fun things NOT to do unless supervised by responsible adults. Since I am not one I only get to play with my food.

 

[DaveSoMD]

Thank you for that info, Princess (and selkie and hoot too and all)...very interesting

I think they use liquid nitrogen to make the fog you see in stage productions for entertainment. They don't use dry ice as that only fogs when combined with a hot liquid and only last 10-15 minutes until the liquid cools off...it continues to bubble but significantly less. I believe I read that somewhere.

I was thinking there might be a little liquid nitrogen as part of the make-up of dry ice to aid it's fogging longevity. If there isn't then maybe there should be? I might be onto something...but then dry ice wouldn't be food-grade anymore. .

As far as I know liquid nitrogen was and is not used in greating fog for theatrical producitons.

Yes, orignially it was dry ice that was used. You lowered the ice into a barrel that had heated water and a blower attached. The blower moved the fog through a tube to the stage. Still one of the best effects as it "hugs" the stage more.

Later they developed and used oil-dipsersion foggers to create the effect.

Then chemical foggers were used but last I knew there were problems with those and the effects the fog had when inhaled.

 

[mollyanne]

I was just watching "Foodography" on the Cooking Channel and there was a whole segment about the use of Liquid Nitrogen being poured into blenders to make instant Ice Cream from Ideas In Food.com. The Fat Duck restaurant also uses Liquid Nitrogen when making Ice Cream at the diner's tables. They pour it from an insulated pitcher. Here is a video of the Foodography segment I watched. You can also google "liquid nitrogen Fat Duck" and see more.

YouTube - Ideas in Food on Cooking Channel's Food(ography)

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[Linux]

I was thinking 'Uh-ohh, fog in a cup here!'

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I was just watching "Foodography" on the Cooking Channel and there was a whole segment about the use of Liquid Nitrogen being poured into blenders to make instant Ice Cream from Ideas In Food.com. The Fat Duck restaurant also uses Liquid Nitrogen when making Ice Cream at the diner's tables. They pour it from an insulated pitcher. Here is a video of the Foodography segment I watched. You can also google "liquid nitrogen Fat Duck" and see more..

Makes me wonder how many litters of kittens OSHA had over this