Hasta La Ideas

The way we eat food—you know, through our mouths—hasn’t changed a whole lot. But where the method has stayed the same, the processes that make up our favorites and tools we use to make our meals have seen radical innovations. The 2014 honorees from the Food category of the Core77 Design Awards vary from multi-purpose kitchen tools to breeding homes for insect protein.

Led by Eating Designer Marije Vogelzang, the jury team chose 12 designs that stood out among the rest and shared their thoughts on the work. Read on to see how cricket-infused cocktail bitters, liquid flower petals, edible Menorahs, and more:

Student Winner: 432 Farm: Insect Breeding, by Katharina Unger

We’ve been seeing insects pop up here and there in future-focused culinary designs, but there hasn’t been a whole lot on how to keep our insect reserve alive and thriving. University of Applied Arts Vienna student Katharina Unger has developed an in-home breeding tool for insects—specifically looking at insect protein as a substitute for meat. “We chose this winner unanimously,” says the jury. “This project stood out from the others due to it’s high quality and designing every single aspect of the process. The project takes on a very current issue and transforms it trough in-depth research, design quality and the ability to make a very complex structure simple and understandable. Eating insects will still be quite a step for the western consumer to make but with this product the designer takes a bit of the horror away and provides a practical, consumer oriented product that people can relate to.”

» Learn more about 432 Farm: Insect Breeding

Student Runner Up: Food Radiation Scanner, by The Furious Fika

Japanese households located in the blast area of Fukushima are still suffering the consequences. The Furious Fika, a team from the Umeâ Institute of Design, designed a scanner that helps identify food with dangerous amounts of radiation, in a hope to make purchasing locally grown food safe again for consumers. The jury’s thoughts: “A very powerful design for a very realistic issue. In many cases technology in combination with food enables loss of connection to the own soil. In this case the design is made to ensure a more firm connection, feeling of safety and trust in local food. Also it will help fight against food waste. Another interesting effect of showing this design at an international contest like this is that it gives us a glimpse into the reality of daily life of many. It shows us a creepy glimpse of something that could happen anywhere, also next to our own doorstep. A big issue is made tangible.”

» Learn more about Food Radiation Scanner

Professional Notable: Blow Dough, by Omer Polak and Michal Evyatar

Bread has been a source of sustenance for longer than any of us can remember—and it’s been made and consumed the same way for just about as long. Omer Polak and Michal Evyatar have reintroduced us to the starchy staple with a new baking method that involves a blowtorch. The experience starts with seasoned dough that’s transformed into herbed balloons with a flamed clocking in at temperatures as high as 1,112°F. The jury called it “a fun and engaging project with a very strong cultural aspect honoring heritage whilst innovating and creating a bonding experience extraordinaire.”

» Learn more about Blow Dough

(more…)