Umami Mart

A few weeks ago, one of my professors went off on a tangent while lecturing: “I was looking through a text book which read, ‘Japanese are nature-loving people.’ As if other people don’t love nature! I don’t know where you’re from, but many places also have seasonal changes! If you were from Boston, it’s not […]

As I’ve written in a post some years ago, Iceland is a nation of candy addicts. Especially if the candy is chocolate mixed with liquorice. It’s crazy how much candy the Icelandic people eat – but since there’s no fresh ice cream tradition like in Italy or warm, salty pretzels like in Germany – I […]

The kawaii (= cute) world of Japan is a very positive dimension of happiness, beauty, bunnies, rainbows and ribbons. And not just something that contains characters, but also an aesthetic approach that appeals to your heart, with a rather feminine touch and usually a soft design that makes you go, “Awwwww, that’s so CUUUTE”. Girls […]

PREFACE Packaging Whore: Faggy Foods (by Anders) I’ve been a serious holiday downer this year. Even though I really do not care for religion, ya’ll know I adore Jesus, and I have done nothing to celebrate the day of his birth thus far. No gifts, no cards, no love. Shame on me! Anders asked me […]

They’re all around you, The Fags. With their pastel-coloured yachts and pink-powered investment banker dating services. They’re also best friends with Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow, giving them advice on what to wear and whom to date (they also advise Cher on her live show outfits, but we don’t talk about that). I belong to the […]

PREFACE Tivoli Eating Aesthetics, Part 1: Munchin’ in the Dark Oh what sweet temptations lie there in the window, luring you in, exploding like fireworks in your braincells and making you feel… giddy. Candy speaks to all ages and cultures–  in one form or another we all have a set of sweet teeth to be […]

By Anders Originally posted on August 25, 2010 I sometimes wonder whether my generation (of 1979) will explode in a green toxic waste cloud when we turn 40. Raised throughout the 1980’s on a chemical food diet consisting of added preservatives, taste perfumes and E-numbers galore, our bodies have grown up in dirty soil and […]

I sometimes wonder whether my generation (of 1979) will explode in a green toxic waste cloud when we turn 40. Raised throughout the 1980’s on a chemical food diet consisting of added preservatives, taste perfumes and E-numbers galore, our bodies have grown up in dirty soil and now there’s no way back (check the latest […]

I love food with personality. And I have the feeling it loves me back– especially in Japan. Working as a character designer, I’m a junkie for Japanese packaging which more than usual sports a happy face, a friendly helper or just an enormous surplus of humour and fun which we boring, sad people of the […]

Last week my mom went to Saint Petersburg and she brought me a few little goodies today. In contrast to the countries surrounding Russia, like China and India there’s really nothing good to say about the culinary qualities of the former republic. And for once I don’t think we can blame Lenin and his comrads…