Edible tableware facts for kids
Edible tableware is a cool idea where your plates, cups, and forks are made from food! Imagine eating your dinner and then eating your plate too. This kind of tableware can be made at home or bought from companies that make it in large amounts. People use all sorts of foods to create these fun and eco-friendly eating tools.
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What is Edible Tableware?
Edible tableware means that the things you eat with, like plates, bowls, spoons, and even chopsticks, are made from food! This can be a fun way to reduce waste and add a tasty twist to your meal.
You can make edible tableware yourself at home. For example, you could use a slice of celery as a chopstick or a small spoon for dips. A big cabbage leaf can become a handy spoon, and a pointy carrot stick works great as a skewer.
Homemade Edible Dishes
Making your own edible bowls and plates is easier than you might think.
- You can hollow out a loaf of bread to make a bowl for soup.
- Bake cheese until it's soft, then shape it into a bowl or plate as it cools.
- Even chocolate can be molded into fancy cups or small dishes for desserts.
Edible Utensils Around the World
Many cultures have used edible foods as utensils for a long time.
- In some parts of the world, like the Middle East, flatbreads such as khobez are used to scoop up foods like hummus.
- Ethiopian injera bread is soft and spongy, perfect for scooping up stews called wat.
- In India, chapati flatbread is often used to eat dishes like sambar and dal.
- In North and Central America, tortillas are commonly used to scoop up salsa or bean dips.
- Other common edible "utensils" include crackers, corn chips, vegetable sticks (like carrots or cucumbers), and cheese sticks.
A Brief History
Edible tableware isn't a new invention. It has been around for hundreds of years!
- During the Elizabethan era (the time of Queen Elizabeth I in England), people used cups, bowls, and plates made from sugar paste.
- Having edible tableware was a sign of wealth and luxury back then.
- In 1562, a person named Alexius Pedemontanus even published recipes for edible knives, forks, chopsticks, and spoons. Imagine eating your cutlery after your meal!
