Were you ever tempted to nibble those rubber grapes collecting dust in your grandma’s house?
You'll want to restrain yourself.
There's an entire industry devoted to lifelike food replicas so convincing that signs warn, "don't eat the plastic models."
Welcome to the world of shokuhin sampuru, a Japanese tradition of handcrafted, hyperrealistic food models that's evolved into a $90m industry, per The New Yorker.
More real than the real thing
Shokuhin sampuru first appeared in Japan in the 1920s, as urban restaurants aimed to attract an influx of rural workers using wax models of unfamiliar foods and fashionable Western dishes like spaghetti.
Since wax models would melt and discolor (yum!), ultra-durable polyvinyl chloride (PVC) became the preferred material (tasty!).
- Entrepreneur Takizō Iwasaki launched the first sampuru business in 1932, according to a recent exhibition on food replica culture at Japan House LA.
- Iwasaki Co. now accounts for 70% of the market, supplying models to many of Japan's 1.4m restaurants, which often rent them for a monthly fee.
- In 2017, the company earned $46m in annual sales, per The Economist.
Today’s models are still handmade, often molded from the food they're imitating. While straightforward models are priced around $100 to $200, like this bento box and burger, premium models, like this honeycomb, can cost thousands.
At Iwasaki's Sample Village and other shops, you can even create your own for ~$20. Or order a soba smartphone stand or tempura keychain instead.
Instragram-able food you'll never want to eat
Fake food is popping up everywhere these days:
- The MoMA Design Store's faux-food pop-up features everything from tempting apple candles to giant corn stools (every home needs one).
- Love The Great British Bake Off, but hate soggy bottoms? Scotland's Fake Food Workshop sells lifelike renditions of UK favorites like Gala Pie ($92/slice) and Raised Game Pie ($401).
- Artist Leanne “Elrod” Rodriguez transforms the kitchy iridescent glow of 1960s Jell-O into works of art with her Mexikitch line.
Still have those plastic grapes kickin' around? Don't toss them (or eat them), they're trendy again.
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