At the end of 2022, I received a forwarded call from Noma from a few people in my network. They offered international students studying something related to food the opportunity to apply for their International Taste Buds program. This involved writing an application letter in which I introduced myself and explained why I would be a valuable addition to their R&D team. With low expectations, I wrote the letter and applied. Out of 80,000 applications, 25 people were selected to be part of the program, and I am one of them.

What does the Taste Buds program involve? Each quarter, I receive three products along with explanations about them. Our task is to explore how these products and ingredients can be used in dishes and to help determine which products are good enough to be sold to consumers. This is done through three online meetings where we discuss flavors, applications, and natural ingredients. Many of their products are quite extreme, such as garlic licorice or sweet salty seaweed powder, but when combined with other products, they could create a true taste experience. It’s up to us to find the right combinations so that they can consider and decide how to market them..