Japan's usually known for it's next level technological innovations, but they recently unveiled something a bit more low-key: edible chopsticks.
Created by the Marushige Confectionery company, the tableware is designed to be eaten at the end of your meal in a bid to reduce the mass amounts of waste created every year from millions by millions of discarded chopsticks. This is a huge sustainability win, since most sets are made from un-recyclable wood, bamboo, metal or plastic.
However there’s also a sweet secondary reason behind the design, and that’s to get people to reflect on Japan’s agricultural traditions while they’re chowing down. The unique product is made from igusa, a type of soft reed that’s used to create the tatami floor mats you’ll see all over the country, and the hope is that they’ll act as a sustainable reminder of where the cultural item comes from and their place in Japan’s society.
Now that’s all well and good, but what the hell do they actually taste like, right? Well, they taste like tatami! They haven’t been pimped up with any flavouring and those who have tried them have said it’s ~quite~ a woody experience. The idea has potential to take off – despite the taste – and they’re currently available in two restaurants in Tokyo.
Do you think edible utensils are the way forward? Let us know in the comments…