OK, can anyone think of a word other than 'nasty' to describe what they've just eaten?" chef Nick Sheridan, owner of Cuisine Catering, asks the 27 third-graders at Yorkwood Elementary School.
What the 8- and 9-year-olds have just eaten is unprocessed, unsweetened cocoa powder. Some think they've had cinnamon, others insist it was coffee -- their young taste buds acquiescing to their more developed sense of sight to help them make sense of the experience.
But this is just the first day in a three-day workshop offered by the American Institute of Wine and Food aimed at developing children's sense of taste.
"The idea is to intervene in the education of children while they are still forming their opinions about the world," says Riva Kahn, co-chair of the Days of Taste event at the Baltimore school. "Sometimes just the exposure to fresh ingredients is all it takes to turn a picky eater into one who is open to exploring the diversity of farm-fresh ingredients."
Founded in California in 1981 by food enthusiasts Julia Child, Robert Mondavi and Richard Graff, the AIWF is a nonprofit educational organization "dedicated to understanding and celebrating the pleasures, benefits and traditions of the table."
AIWF's Baltimore chapter has taught the Days of Taste program in 10 elementary schools in the city and Baltimore County since 1998.
Ned Atwater, baker and owner of Atwater Breads and co-chairman of the event, says he was drawn to the AIWF because of its educational component.
"I was working as a chef and then started my own business. I wasn't interested in joining an organization solely for highbrow food discussions. I wanted to work with kids and get them excited about variety and freshness. And getting in touch with these children and taking part in their taste education has been extremely rewarding for me."
On the first day of the workshop, "taste educators" begin by asking the children what they had for breakfast that morning. At Yorkwood Elementary School, one of four city and county schools participating in the program this spring, the responses range from "nothing" to a "McDonald's sausage biscuit."
"Do you think any of those things came from a farm?" Kahn asks.
The class resounds, "Noooo."
Kahn encourages them to take a closer look and walks them through the makings of a sausage biscuit, explaining that the flour and butter in the biscuit are evidence of wheat and dairy farms at work. Most of the pupils seem amazed to discover the connection between what they eat and America's farms.
The education continues with blind tastings that explore sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Many brows furrow and eyes wince over the sour citric acid.
Adhering to Sheridan's request to use adjectives other than "nasty," the group describes what sensations they are experiencing. One pupil calls the roasted carrots "smushy" while another says he likes his foods "juicy."
On the second day of the workshop, the students explore the food-farm connection on a field trip to One Straw Farm in White Hall.
"Here's the deal, guys," says farm owner Joan Norman.
"Now that you've been to my farm, you are a part of my world. And as part of my world, you have to follow the two-bite rule."
Confused looks abound. Norman continues, "That means that every time you see a new food, you need to take two bites of it. Why two? Because the first bite may taste funny to you or even bad, but give it one more chance, because often times the second bite is a lot better."
Norman then leads a farm tour, explaining drainage systems, compost piles and chicken coops. Justin Snowden, 8, has a hard time believing that the green leaves he sees coming out of the ground are the beginnings of a watermelon plant. "I would've said maybe that was for tomatoes or something, but watermelon?" he questions.
The third day of the workshop begins in the classroom with volunteer Susan Adams asking the pupils if they had used the two-bite rule over the past week. Arms shoot up in the air.
"I tried peas," says 8-year-old Dajhe Cousin, "and at first I didn't like them, but I tried another bite and they were good."
Other students recount their experiences with eggplant, tomatoes and cabbage.
The finale then begins. On this last day of the workshop, the third-graders prepare their own vinaigrettes and green salads. Each table is given an enticing array of produce -- cherry tomatoes, matchstick zucchini slices, shredded carrots, slivers of red and green peppers, minced fresh dill and mixed greens.
The pupils squeeze fresh oranges and lemons, and use whisks to combine the juices with olive oil, salt and pepper to make the vinaigrette. The room grows uncharacteristically silent as the young chefs taste their creations.
Derek Anderson says this is the first time he has ever tried salad. His favorite part was "putting together all of the colors."
Most of the children like the taste, although a few young chefs aren't sure. Gbemmy Adeuyan says, "I don't like the way the lettuce feels in my mouth, but the dressing is really good. Maybe I could put that on tomatoes."