Miniature (Fake) Food Is Big In Japan

It seems the latest food trend in Japan doesn’t even involve eating, but merely the preparation of lifelike, miniature meals in similar size kitchens, intended for display purposes only.  The non-edible (but perishable) dishes are made from sodium alginate, a seaweed extract that is sold in various colored powders under the name konapun. When mixed with water, it takes on the consistency of Play-Doh, becoming a highly malleable material that can be fashioned into all manners of shapes and textures.

Making the food seems to carry with it many of the same creative aspects of the actual task, save for the fact that there is no joy in tasting the finished product, and one imagines, a lot less cleanup. The minds behind this faux-culinary movement have even managed to simulate various cooking processes like frying and boiling without ever having to put food to flame. The hypnotic video below provides an excellent entree into this odd little world.

[via Bon Appetit]

Image via EDGY Japan