Hello Low Food Labs
The Low Food Labs are culinary experiments that bring chefs, craftsmen, scientists and students together. We kicked off with two promising subjects Grains and Water Lentils. This year Okara and Broth were added.
Low Food Lab: Grains
With guidance of artisan baker Alice den Boer of Amarant bakery, our laborants have been experimenting and working with ancient grains like emmer, einkorn and spelt. Besides learning and exchanging between different professions, together we have developed a new set of recipes. Some of the results are already tangible: a lovely bread and a non- alcoholic aperitif made with red grains served at Restaurant Wils. With the insights from this Low Food Lab we aim to inspire you! - the (home)bakers, the fermentation enthusiasts, the foodies, the brewers and the (pastry)chefs.
Check out the results in our first Low Food Lab publication.
Low Food Lab: Okara
Okara is the leftover pulp from soybeans after they are filtered to make soy products. In Japan okara is seen as a nutritious and valuable product, but in The Netherlands we mostly treat it as waste. That’s where this Low Food Lab comes in: how can we safely use okara in our diets and what culinary properties does it have? For this Lab we are working with the first all-Dutch soy milk producer De Nieuwe Melkboer, researcher Sasker Scheerder (Manenwolfs Foodlab) and chefs from restaurants RIJKS and Wils.
Low Food Lab: Water Lentils
Water lentils are mostly known as duckweed. They are really interesting, because they contain a high amount of protein. One hectare of water lentils produces as much protein as ten (!) hectare of soy. But how will we eat them? What's the culinary value? These are the questions that chef Emile van der Staak (De Nieuwe Winkel) and nutrition and fermentation scientist dr. Bart Smit (Fermentor) will explore in their Low Food Lab!
Low Food Lab: Broth
This Low Food Lab focuses on food waste, specifically waste in hospitality. Elzelinde van Doleweerd (Upprinting Food) and Joris Bijdendijk (RIJKS) take a deep dive into the subject ‘How can we use plant based waste streams from restaurants to make a tasteful, umami broth?’.
This Lab is divided into four stages:
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Defining the perfect broth: what flavors and qualities are we looking for?
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Market research: what broths and stock cubes are already on the market? What ingredients and methods are being used already?
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Research in waste streams: what plant based waste streams do we see in restaurants?
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Testing methods: what waste streams and techniques can we use to create the broth?
Keep posted
The first results of both Low Food Labs are expected in Spring 2021. Don’t want to miss an update of these Low Food Labs? Subscribe to our newsletter here. Or follow us on Social Media via the buttons below for updates on the Low Food Labs.
Participants Low Food Lab: Grains
Alice den Boer of Amarant Bakery and Het Graanschap, Sasker Scheerder of Manenwolfs Foodlab, Alysha Aggarwal of Broodbakkerij Ex, Karel Goudsblom of Bakkerij MAMA, Maxim Rolvink of Restaurant Wils, Tjalling Landman of Brouwerij 't IJ, Elin de Jong of Ulmus Bakkerij, Frank van Eerd of
De Bisschopsmolen and Ynze van Hoek of De Misosoof.