THE EDIBLE
PLASTICSOUP
The amount of plastic waste that ends up in the ocean is growing at a fast pace. This is not only the waste we throw on the streets, but also the micro plastics that remain after washing synthetic clothes or that come from cosmetic products. About 8 million metric tons of plastic waste ends up in the ocean each year, if this doesn’t stop there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.
To address this problem, India Rose created a recipe for a consumable intervention; a futuristic bouillabaisse; the edible plastic soup. The recipe has been printed upon a bio-plastic bag. The bags are made from cassava, they are 100% biodegradable and they dissolve in warm water. The bags can be used as a binder and garnish for the soup.
All the profits generated by this project will go to charities that are committed to tackling the plastic pollution.
India Rose makes her edible plastic soup in both fish and vegan versions. To serve the fish version as sustainably and deliciously as possible, she uses the residual products of the fish production; she makes the soup with the fish trimmings and bones. These parts of the fish are usually thrown away, but often contain most of the flavor.
Be aware: The Edible Plasticsoup is an artproject and a form of speculative design. Any form of participation in this project is at own risk.
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE BOUILLABAISSE
Making soup is something humans have always been doing. Ages ago they already put iron pots above the fire. In these cooking pots filled with seething water they put all that they had at hand.
Most soups are made out of a broth. A broth is a savory liquid made of water in which bones, meat, fish, or vegetables have been simmered. Broth isn’t very nutritious but it rather functions to stimulate your appetite and add flavor.
Amongst all soups, the fishsoup is considered to be of high value. There are many types of fish soups, but the French bouillabaisse might be the most well-known of them all. The ‘real’ one comes from Marseille. But is it even possible to speak about a ‘real’ one? Even in Marseille de bouillabaisses differ from housewife to housewife, from restaurant to restaurant and from day to day.
The word bouillabaisse comes from the two French verbs: bouillir (to boil) and abaisser (to reduce heat, i.e., simmer), which means that the recipe includes more of a preparation method then a fixed recipe. The bouillabaisse was originally a dish made by fishermen. They prepared the dish on the beach after returning from fishing. In a pot filled with seawater they cooked all the fishes that they couldn’t sell, because they were damaged, too small or simply because they weren’t the right fish. Aside of this they also added some locally available vegetables and herbs.
Plastic is harmful to the sea and its inhabitants but a new type of bioplastic might bring the solution. There are a lot of products on the market that are being sold as environment friendly products. Biodegradable bags sound amazing, but often they leave behind substances that are toxic to both the sea, animals and plants. But bioplastic bags that are made out of cassava and other plant based materials, those bags are not only biodegradable but also recyclable, they soften in cold water and within months they are converted into carbon dioxide, water and biomass. When they are put in warm water they dissolve. In that way, they are also safe to consume for the inhabitants of our planet.
RECIPE & TIPS
1. BRING THE WATER TO A BOIL AND ADD SALT AND ONE BAY LEAF.
2. ADD THE GREEN PARTS OF THE LEEK, THE TOMATO, THE STALKS AND THE BOTTOM OF THE FENNEL TO THE WATER. PEEL THE CARROT AND THE CELERIAC. ADD THE PEELS TO THE WATER.
3. ADDTHE FISH TO THE WATER. LET IT BOIL DOWN FOR 20 MINUTES OVER LOW HEAT.
4. SLICE THE CELERIAC, THE WHITE PARTS OF THE LEEK, THE CARROT, ONION AND FENNEL IN CUBES OF 1 BY 1CM. CRUSH THE GARLIC. FRY ALL TOGETHER IN A DASH OF OIL. ADD THE WINE AND LET IT SIMMER OVER LOW HEAT.
5. POUR THE WATER THROUGH A SIEVE INTO THE PAN WITH WINE AND VEGETABLES. TAKE THE FISH OUT OF THE SIEVE AND GET RID OF THE HEAD, TAIL AND BONES. ADD THE FISH AND/OR SHELLFISH TO THE SOUP. LET IT BOIL FOR 5-7 MINUTES OVER MEDIUM HEAT.
6. SERVE THE SOUP WITH A HANDFUL OF FRESHLY CHOPPED PARSLEY AND FINISH IT OF BY ADDING THE EDIBLE PLASTIC-BAG AS A GARNISH AND BINDER.
TIP: CHOOSE FISH AND/OR SHELLFISH THAT IS LOCALLY AVAILABLE. TAKE CARE YOU HAVE A VARIATION OF FIRM AND SOFT TYPES OF FISH. AVOID OILY TYPES OF FISH.
TIP: MAKE USE OF FISH TRIMMINGS & BONES. THESE CONTAIN MOST OF THE FLAVOR OF THE FISH BUT ARE OFTEN THROWN AWAY.
TIP: SERVE WITH BREAD AND ROUILLE OR HERB BUTTER.
TIP: YOU CAN REPLACE THE HERBS AND VEGETABLES BY LOCALLY AVAILABLE ALTERNATIVES.
TIP: YOU CAN REPLACE THE HERBS AND VEGETABLES BY THE ONES HARVESTED OUT OF THE VEGETABLE GARDEN OF THE UTOPIAN MANUAL.
PRESS & ARTICLES
1. STRAKS EET JE EEN 'PLASTIC TAS' IN JE KOMMETJE SOEP - HET PAROOL
2. KUNSTENARES SERVEERT LETTERLIJK PLASTIC SOEP - AT5
3. IN DEZE SOEP ZIT EXPRES EEN PLASTIC ZAK - NOS JEUGD JOURNAAL
4. STRAKS ZIT ER EEN 'PLASTIC' TAS IN JE KOMMETJE SOEP - AD
5. LUST JIJ DEZE PLASTIC SOEP? - ZEILEN.NL
6. INTERVIEW AT KUNSTQUARTIER BETHANIAN - FOODARTWEEK
