Not all plastics are born to cause the earth's destruction. Some are made to please the eyes and make your mouths water.
They say that the eyes can deceive you and these plastic foods are (non-living) proof.
In case you missed it, there is an annual plastic food competition held in Japan, the land of all cute things.
Every year, food artists use a different means of making their art. Instead of fresh food decoration, they make use of plastic food but so realistic they will fool you with one glance.
Organizers found the idea of the competition after seeing various restaurant displays of their menu through a glass window outside their restaurant. And no, these are not too good to be true. In fact, when you order, the art that is presented in the display is translated into real food. And it tastes as good as it looks.
Noticing the amount of dedication food store owners put in to make their display as real as possible, they decided to celebrate the art through an annual competition that is being joined by food artists and restaurant owners alike, Rocket News 24 reports.
Iwasaki Be-I is the leading plastic food samples company in Japan and they are the one responsible for the anticipated competition which dates back to 1968. For 45 years now, the contest has been honing the world class talents of their people as well as pioneering new technology, styles of expression and developing new product lines that are showcased through unique and beautiful plastic food masterpieces.
Through the years, this custom is not only a celebration of art and talent but a practical aid and initiative in their restaurant industry as well. Clara Clegg, a writer from the same website points out two reasons why these food plastics make sense; 1. It enables the customers to level their expectations with their orders, unlike the blurry image presented by pictures in a two-dimensional menu. And 2. It hones to the cross-cultural communication skill that is pointing.
"If you don't speak Japanese, you can just point! It's also useful for the staff - if they're not sure what you're trying to order, they can direct you to the display case and have a good old mime session to work out what it is you want," Clegg notes.
