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Pcycled Food
What is upcycled food?
Produced by &LAB TOKYO / Chihide Ando
Produced by &LAB TOKYO / Chihide Ando
Your thoughts in a book
What is upcycled food? It's the concept of "recycled food," which gives new value to discarded materials.
table of contents
▶︎What is upcycled food?
The concept of "recycled food" gives new value to waste materials.
▶︎The philosophy and origins of FUFP (Fuji Upcycled Food Project) , a circular food culture born at the foot of Mt. Fuji
▶︎What is wine pomace?
The potential hidden in the grape pomace left over after winemaking.
▶︎ Vin & Céréales ― Granola made from grapes and grains
The feelings embodied in each fragrant and beautiful grain of rice.
▶︎Not as a future profit generated by a delicious cycle , but as an activity that expands empathy and connection
Service Features
Upcycled food refers to:
Food ingredients and by-products that would otherwise be discarded,
This is "regenerative food" that gives new value.
For example, the grape skins and seeds that remain after winemaking.
It still contains plenty of rich nutrients, such as polyphenols.
Instead of throwing it away, it can be returned to the table again as powder or processed ingredients.
Our upcycled food project was born from this idea of circularity.
If recycling is an effort to "return something to its original form,"
Upcycling is an initiative to "transform something into something with new value."
In the world of food, this is also a creative challenge to reconstruct "deliciousness" while reducing the environmental impact .
Wine pomace, a by-product of winemaking. The story of its rebirth begins here.
Service Features
We, FUFP (Fuji Upcycled Food Project) ,
Grapes grown organically and carefully in Yamanashi Prefecture
Focusing on the "wine pomace" (grape residue left over after winemaking) produced at that winery,
We are working to breathe new life into granola and sweets.
What is wine pomace?
Wine pomace is like the "sake lees" in the world of alcohol.
In recent years, the nutritional value of sake lees has been attracting attention,
I'm sure there's something good in the pomace left over from winemaking, too.
With that in mind, we actually conducted a component test,
It was found that the polyphenol content is approximately 10 times that of wine .
We try to preserve the nutritional value as much as possible.
We carefully and slowly perform low-temperature drying .
The nutritional content of wine pomace varies greatly depending on the processing method.
How it is handled is a crucial factor that affects its quality.
Grapes that have been carefully cultivated, starting with soil preparation.
However, small wineries often lack the resources to process and utilize pumice, a by-product of winemaking.
Some wineries take measures such as using the cows as animal feed or returning them to the soil,
Currently, much of it is simply discarded.
As part of our efforts to breathe new life into such pumice,
We have started this project.
This activity has no purpose of profit or mass production.
To make people aware of the concept of "wastefulness" and to help them feel the "delicious cycle,"
I believe this is the first step we can take.
The activities are continuing slowly, but surely.
The voices and support we received from all over the country through crowdfunding,
It still gives me a push towards the next season.
Vin & Céréales ― Granola made from grapes and grains
"Vin & Céréales" is
The name is derived from "Vin," meaning wine, and "Céréales," meaning grain.
Grapes and grains—this name embodies our desire to reconnect with nature's bounty.
Finely grind the wine pomace and mix it with oatmeal and nuts.
By baking it slowly at a low temperature, we create granola that is both fragrant and has a gentle sweetness.
The wine aroma and subtle acidity that can be detected in the background of the fragrance are
It embodies the natural character of the grape itself.
The cycle of "deliciousness" continues.
We aim to create each grain of rice that allows you to feel the earth, the people, and nature with every bite.
This granola is not just a "food",
These are "foods with a story," filled with memories of the producers, the land, and the seasons.
Through this,
We want to capture the moment when materials that were destined to be discarded begin to shine again.
A future created by a delicious cycle
The essence of the word upcycling is
It's not about reusing "things",
I believe it's about re-examining the relationship between humans and nature.
What I felt through the wine pomace was,
Even a small step can connect you with someone's feelings,
Indeed, a cycle is created.
This activity has neither profit-making objectives nor a large-scale structure.
The reason I can still continue is,
The voices of those who support us,
It's because there's a chain reaction of kindness stemming from the idea of "what a waste."
The granola and sweets we make are
A new form of culture: "Thinking about the environment through food."
I hope that each grain will become a symbol of hope for the future or a source of inspiration for someone.
FUFP will continue to
Working with different materials each season,
We will continue our activities at a steady pace, focusing on the theme of "the cycle of eating."
On to the next material, on to the next season.
From the foot of Mount Fuji, we envision a sustainable and beautiful future for food.
Food design for the future
The essence of upcycled food is not just the "avoiding waste" spirit.
It is the wisdom to make the most of nature's bounty,
This is a new approach to "connecting with society through food."
This initiative, which originated at the foot of Mount Fuji,
If I can leave a small spark in someone's heart—
That is our wish at FUFP.