Lifull, which operates a property website and several other companies in Japan, recently hosted a culinary event where guests in a tranquil forest setting drank an infusion of Japanese cypress and lavender, then dined on "tree bark snacks", "consomme of tree and earth", "oyster pocher with Japanese cedar and rosemary gnocchi" and "roast dove finished with firewood".
The 'Earth cuisine' project was intended to discover and focus on "new and previously unheard of ingredients" and "contribute to the conservation of earth through consumption", according to the company.
The menu made use of "thinned" wood. Thinning is a forestry-management process which involves cutting down some trees in order to help the remaining ones grow faster and larger. The thinned wood was powdered to produce a special ingredient for this event, and the menu was created by a renowned chef, Koji Tamura.
The company is offering the dishes for a limited time at Lifull Table, a restaurant it runs in Tokyo.
As an effort to align the company with environmental awareness, the initiative is interesting. And as a woodland creature, anything that improves sustainability on behalf of forests is a good thing in Ad Nut's book.
That said, Ad Nut is not sure how well wood as a food product will catch on. Judging by the reactions of some of the diners in the film above, it may be an acquired taste.
Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'. |