Mystery science eater

Photographs: Roxana Marroquin

Peristaltic pumps

THE FINE-DINING CREATION:
Commercial food products aren’t the only sources of inspiration for chefs. At Jean Georges, executive pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini uses medical equipment to make rhubarb noodles, which he serves with palm seeds, lightly gelled yogurt and a hibiscus-rose broth. The peristaltic pump, which he purchased on eBay for $300, massages silicone tubing with rollers, drawing a solution of rhubarb juice, vanilla and a gelling agent up through the hose, which then passes through an ice bath and sets the mixture.

THE INDUSTRIAL VERSION:
Peristalsis—the muscular contractions that pass food through our digestive system—is the basic mechanism behind the pump. This device is used during open-heart surgery, which continues the heart’s work by diverting blood flow. In industrial applications, the pump is used to move harmful liquids like sewage with minimal contamination.