Could leftover materials be transformed into fresh food instead?
Tacos and protein bars are being served upstairs in a two-story structure on the harbor in Refshaleøen, Copenhagen, while chocolate is being tempered in the kitchen. This is the invention of Rasmus Munk, the two-starred chef who is on a mission to “upcycle” what we eat, not the debut of the newest small plates restaurant.
Munk is among an increasing number of individuals who think our current food waste holds the key to the future of food.
With nearly 40% of all food grown in the US going to waste each year and food waste accounting for nearly 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions (more than three times that of the aviation industry), upcycling—using leftover materials to help create new food—is seen as a potential solution to the world’s growing edible waste mountain.
Consequently, chocolate at Spora, the laboratory located a short distance from Munk’s eatery Alchemist, is produced using cocoa husks (about three-quarters of each cocoa pod are lost when beans are gathered for chocolate). Meanwhile, the high-protein byproduct of making rapeseed oil and rapeseed cakes stuff the tacos.
The lab was founded as a result of research done at Alchemist, which prioritizes using frequently disregarded animals.
