When you are in Japan, have you ever fascinated by colorful food replicas displayed at the restaurants?
They look so real and many people said it can almost be considered state of the art.
Have you ever wondered how to make plastic food samples? These days, how to make fake food is no longer the experts’ secret!
History
Food replica, also known as fake foods or food samples are a model or replica of a food item made from plastic, wax, resin or similar material. These models are commonly used in restaurant street displays in Japan to represent the dishes available inside.
In Japan, shokuhin sampuru, taken from the English “sample”, are widespread. During the early Shōwa period, in the late 1920s, Japanese artisans and candle makers developed food models that made it easy for patrons to order without the use of menus, which were not common in Japan at that time. Paraffin was used to create these until the mid-1980s, but because its colors faded when exposed to heat or sunlight, manufacturers later switched to polyvinyl chloride, which is “nearly eternal”.
The plastic models are mostly handmade from polyvinyl chloride and sculpted to look like the actual dishes. The models can be custom-tailored to individual restaurants and even common items such as ramen can be modified to match each establishment’s food. During the molding process, the imitation ingredients are often chopped up and combined in a manner similar to actual cooking. ©Wikipedia
Replica Food Workshop
When looking for a unique experience when going to Japan, you can try food replica making. We can recommend your group tour to some workshops around the big city. The store maintains several replica workshops that produce a wide variety of replicas from sushi, ramen, hamburgers to ice cream. And you can bring your work as a souvenir!
Food replica workshops usually arranged for student group tours, but it is also fun for family or incentive tours. Everyone can show how their creativity by trying food replica making. Contact us now for more detailed information!
Where to do replica food workshop:
Tokyo
Osaka
Aichi
Kyushu