Have Your Plate And Eat It Too

Chew your way through edible cutlery and crockery to fight plastic waste

- Smita Tripathi

QUICK question: How many times have you licked your spoon clean after a particularly satisfying meal or have been tempted to lick your plate? Admit it, we have all been there, done that, and would probably do it more often if it wasn’t considered bad etiquette. There is good news for all you ‘spoon-lickers’ out there: you don’t have to stop at licking your spoon clean, you can actually eat it. And the plate and bowls too. Also, straws, forks, and chopsticks. Welcome to the world of edible cutlery and tableware that sounds right out of Grimm Brothers’ Hansel and Gretel. Except that while the witch’s house was made of candy and gingerbread, edible cutlery is actually healthy. Consider this: one spoon made of multigrain flour by Vadodara-based Trishula has 14 per cent dietary fibre, 10 gm protein, 2 per cent potassium, 7 per cent calcium, and 33 per cent iron. It’s probably healthier than the dish you use it to eat. It’s also tasty as it comes in a range of flavours from peri to black pepper.

While edible cutlery is still in its nascent stage in India, the global edible cutlery market is expected to reach $56.9 million by 2026 from $24.8 million in 2018, registering a CAGR of 11.1 per cent from 2019 to 2026, as per a report by market research firm Allied Market Research.