In the next 35 years, global food demand will increase by 70 per cent. In response, IKEA’s research and design laboratory, Space10, in Copenhagen, has published a cookbook called Future Food Today, a collection of ‘delicious, sustainable and future-proof’ recipes. Jenny Southan reports

Created in collaboration with creative agency Barkas, the book teach readers how to grow their own blue-green algae spirulina, cultivate freshwater fish in personal aquaponic systems (for tank-to-tongue dining), and support mealworm farms.

The bugs need to be killed by freezing slowly over 24 hours – they can then be made into “neatballs”. One day these may replace Ikea’s famous meatballs it serves in its restaurants.

Each meal has been “refined and perfected” in Space10’s test titchen. It said the idea was to “close the gap between future food trends and what actually happens in people’s kitchens”.

Instead of old-fashioned salads made with lettuce and cucumber, Space10 proposes a variety of other organic leaves grown hydroponically. It said: “We’ve developed three combinations of microgreens, sprouts and herbs: red veined sorrel, broccoli and tarragon; pea sprouts, pink stem radish and thyme; and borage, red frill mustard and lemon balm.”

It even has a recipe for micro-green ice cream and popsicles made with fennel, coriander, basil, mint , woodruff, coriander, Spanish chervil and sorrel.Space 10 said: “Although we cannot predict the future, we know that the way we consume and produce food must drastically change if we hope to make it better. We simply do not have the resources to achieve this demand on today’s diet.

Future Food Today’s recipes tackle this problem by staying away from unsustainable sources of protein and basing meals around micro-algae, insects and other sustainable ingredients that are easy on the environment and, better yet, delicious.

“Some of the recipes call for ingredients you may not have seen before, others are good old kitchen classics. We wanted to engage as many people as possible in this conversation, from well seasoned gourmandes to aspirational foodies. It really is a book for everyone, as long as you have a curious mind and have an interest in exploring a more sustainable future.”SPACE10 – Future Food TodayRecipes include:

  • The Dogless Hotdog, made with dried and glazed baby carrots, beet and berry ketchup, mustard and turmeric cream, roasted onions, cucumber salad, a herb salad mix and high-protein micro-algae buns
  • The Bug Burger, each patty containing 100g of beetroot, 50g of parsnip, 50g of potatoes and 50g of mealworms  –  the larval form of a darkling beetle
  • The Holy Mole Fish Taco, made with aquaponic cured perch, wheat tortillas, green pea mole, salsa verde and homegrown hot sauce. SPACE10 – Future Food Today

There’s even alternatives to ever-trendy brunch favourite avocado on toast (avocados consumer vast amounts of water to grow and contribute to deforestation as farmers cut down trees to plant avocados instead). Instead Future Food Today, suggests using “crunchy asparagus, creamy seed paste, luscious squash and classic egg.”

Simon Perez, SPACE10 chef and food designer, said: “Ultimately, we created Future Food Today to inspire ourselves and others to get curious in the kitchen, and to motivate us to take action through our food choices.

“At once aspirational and practical, Future Food Today gives its readers the tools they need to experiment with sustainable, healthy and delicious recipes in their own kitchens.”

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