Why is the onion considered the queen of the kitchen? And why is Symrise the king of onion? These were the questions the flavors and fragrance producer was posing during the opening of Fi Europe when the company launched its new film shot with 360° virtual reality technology.

Throughout the leading trade events, Symrise is screening its virtual reality film “King of Onion 360°”.

Symrise used “Spherie”, a drone capable of capturing panoramic views, to film the content - and the result is a virtual reality film that takes the viewer on a journey, allowing them to experience first-hand how the golden vegetables are harvested and processed.

Through this interactive journey, viewers get a behind-the-scenes look at the kitchens at Symrise as new dishes are made from the beloved local ingredient.

Symrise will present the virtual film experience, “King of Onion 360°”, during the three days of the trade show and will invite visitors on an interactive journey into the world of taste, using the motto “Best of Nature. Best of Science. Best for You.”

Sustainable onion cultivation
The onion is a fascinating vegetable. Its intensive aroma brings tears to the eyes, yet it is also a key ingredient in many savory dishes. Onions are used as basic materials or flavor carriers in 95 percent of all soups, sauces, ready-made meals and preparations of meat or fish. For 60 years, Symrise has been processing this natural ingredient for convenience products.

Yet, the supposedly ordinary vegetable is very demanding: Alternating with wheat, potatoes and turnips, the onion is only planted every seven years. To show how sustainable and regional onion cultivation works, Symrise wanted to show its customers the aerial adventure.

Hamburg-based film production company Spice VR was commissioned and their experts sent a unique drone into the sky. With six cameras on board, “Spherie” is the world’s first drone specially designed for 360° VR filming.

Thanks to the drone, viewers can “float” above farmer Jochen Ricke’s onion fields in Allersheim. The small village is just a stone’s throw away from the main factory in Holzminden. Ricke is one of Symrise’s close contract partners. The majority of the 8,500 tons of onions that Symrise purchases every year come from farmers within a radius of 50 kilometers. As a result, transport routes and energy costs are kept to a minimum.

Project Manager Dominik Rzepka, from the Corporate Communications department at Symrise, says the film project represented an exciting challenge.

“Producing a 360-degree virtual reality film required a whole new way of thinking, as well as meticulous preparation for the scenes. During the shooting, you have to constantly make sure that no one is in range of the special cameras besides the actors – otherwise they will be seen in the video,” he said.

“If this had happened, it could only be determined later, after reviewing all of the footage – only then could we be sure that a scene had been successful. Thanks to the experience of Spice VR and support from many motivated colleagues and partners, we are able to provide this unique insight into our industry.”