Yum, yum: love the mousse. But is it art?

Joanna Pitman talks to Ferran Adrià, widely hailed as the world’s greatest chef and named as one of the 100 most influential people on the planet. He doesn’t think he is Picasso

Can I interest you in some almond ice cream served on a swirl of garlic oil and balsamic vinegar? Are you game for a ‘chicken skin and orange blossom envelope’, fried tobacco balls, or a taste of rabbit brains with pistachio, green tea and demerara sugar? Although many of us would hesitate to put such things in our mouths, these startling dishes have all been created by Ferran Adrià, the 47-year-old Spaniard reputed to be the best chef in the world.

Reactions to Adrià’s work tend to be rich and gamey. Joel Robuchon, the French culinary star, has said he is simply the finest chef on the planet. Time magazine has named him one of the hundred most influential people in the world.