PLAYING WITH YOUR FOOD
Catalan designer Martí Guixé has created a Fake Food Park at Australia’s NGV International in Melbourne, Victoria, encouraging us to rethink the way we eat. Guixé is renowned for his playful approach to food and has previously developed Pharma-Food, which allows people to breathe in vaporised food. In 2009, he constructed a banquet in New York City with micro-snacks and hand-
drawn instructions prompting visitors to interact with strangers. The Fake Food Park is open until September 11.
PRINTING FOOD
At the Culinary Institute of America,
food scientists have used 3D printing to make edible creations, including delicate culinary flourishes such as a French vanilla cage that turns into a glaze when drizzled with espresso.
COCKROACH MILK
We’re used to seeing the dreaded cockroach scurrying around our kitchens, but rarely do we see it in our fridge. According to a team of scientists new research could see humans consuming the milk of one of our most hated household pests.
The Pacific Beetle Cockroach, found in Asia and Pacific islands, is the only cockroach to give birth to live young. This means that like mammals, these mothers raise their offspring with a “milk”. According to research, a single protein crystal found in the mother’s stomach contains more than three times the amount of energy found in regular cows milk.
“They’ve found out that it’s actually composed of protein, and also lipid – or fats – and lots of sugars. There’s the three components that are really important for nutrition, and so it’s a highly nutritious source of food for the growing cockroach.”
JELLYFISH FOR DINNER?
According to London-based market research company Mintel, jellyfish might be the next big brain food due to its high protein levels, which can help with memory and learning. “As marine populations decline due to pollution, climate change and overfishing, jellyfish populations are thriving,” it says. Jellyfish is already a delicacy in several Asian countries.
SMART CHOCOLATE
UK-based Esthechoc promises that one small chocolate per day will help to regain skin health and slow the ageing process. The product, based on more than 10 years of research, combines highly potent active substances such as astaxanthin (the most powerful antioxidant known to science) with the benefits already found in chocolate.
SOIL-FREE HERBS
Start-up SproutsIO is changing the way consumers grow their own food with a soil-free in-home system that is controlled by a smartphone app, which allows for sensor-equipped plants to be cared for remotely. The plant consumes only two per cent of the water and 40 per cent of the nutrients required by conventional soil-based farming.
Would you be game to try any of these?