The Met Gala isn’t just about fashion and glamour; it’s also about creativity and innovation, extending to the event’s menu. Each year, alongside the theme-based costumes, attendees are treated to a captivating culinary experience. This year was no exception.
While the Met Gala is renowned for its star-studded red carpet, it’s not solely about glitz and glamour. The event also offers celebrities a chance to indulge in delectable cuisine, meticulously crafted to complement the evening’s theme. For this year’s gala, themed “The Garden of Time,” inspired by J.G. Ballard’s 1962 short story, the menu echoed the theme’s essence.
What’s on the Met Gala 2024 menu?
The menu for this year’s Met Gala drew inspiration from the Costume Institute’s exhibition, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. Chef Olivier Cheng described it as a “romantic and ethereal” selection, utilizing the finest seasonal ingredients to evoke a fantastical, storybook ambiance. “We wanted to create a menu that felt a bit romantic and ethereal, yet focused on the best seasonal ingredients,” Cheng explained to Vogue. “Drawing inspiration from the lush gardens and palaces of Sleeping Beauty’s fantasy world, we really aimed to build our own bite-sized fairytale.”
The first dish served was a spring vegetable salad featuring elderflower foam, raspberry vinaigrette, and olive crumble, reminiscent of soil, adorned with butterfly-shaped croutons. Cheng revealed that he found inspiration in Aurora’s “reawakening” after a century of slumber, selecting early spring vegetables that emerge following a long winter.
For the main course, guests were treated to filet of beef adorned with a tortellini rose, mirroring the rose motifs of this year’s gala. According to Olivier, “We’re floating the beef on a pine needle and mushroom ‘moat.’” English ivy, candelabras, and lettuce plates completed the table setting.
As for dessert, the menu featured an almond cremeux shaped like a miniature apple, coated in a vibrant red mirror glaze, resting on a walnut-flavored ‘leaf.’” The dish was a visual delight, showcasing almond cream fashioned into an apple.
Some foods are banned at the Met Gala
The menu at the event varies according to the theme, but one rule remains constant: a strict ban on three particular food items.
As reported by E! Online, Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor-in-chief and Met Gala co-host, has emphasized the prohibition of three foods due to their potential to cause bad breath: chives, onions, and garlic. Hence, while chefs are encouraged to experiment within the theme, these ingredients are off-limits.
These items, known for their pungent aroma, are deemed unsuitable for the occasion to maintain the elegance and freshness associated with the Met Gala’s atmosphere.