What Are Edible Utensils Made Of?

If the thought of cleaning up after a large party stresses you out, you're not alone. After watching attendees at events discard spoon after spoon after just one bite, professional caterer Jack Milan decided there must be a better solution. Instead of serving hors d'oeuvres out of spoons (more on that later), Milan decided to make the spoons themselves edible. Today, Edibles by Jack offers 18 different flavors in a collection of both sweet and savory varieties for chefs, caterers, and social entertainers to get creative with recipes — all while being a bit more mindful of the environment.

Edibles by Jack is not alone. Other entrepreneurs have set out to change the way we look at spoons and forks with flavorful, zero-waste spoons. Not only are edible utensils helping push plastic spoons and forks to the side, but chefs also have a unique ingredient in their hands, and menus can be designed to highlight the uniqueness of utensils that taste like wasabi sesame, coconut curry, and mint chocolate.

Milan certainly isn't the only one with edible spoons on his agenda. Incredible Spoon offers spoons, straws, and sporks in both sweet (chocolate and vanilla) and savory (oregano and black pepper) options, and large and small spoon sizes can be ordered to accommodate different catering and cooking needs. The ingredients in these utensils include wheat, oat, corn, chickpea, and brown rice, and when kept at room temperature, the edible spoons and sporks can last six months.

2050 Fork designed a 3D printing mold to create utensils made from its own combination of rice flour, soy flour, corn flour, water, and other natural food ingredients. Yet to keep costs low and reduce environmental impact, the company developed unique formulas for different areas of the world to market utensils that make the most of the resources available to individual communities. Gluten-free and heat resistant, these tough utensils are not necessarily meant to be eaten but are instead designed to be composted so that they can return fertilizer back into the ground. 

Whether you're looking for an innovative addition to your menu or simply want to be mindful of waste, you have plenty of options to choose from.

Edibles by Jack provides a list of menu ideas to help chefs get creative with the edible spoons. With two sizes to choose from, the spoons can be ordered specifically with culinary projects in mind. Choose gingerbread or white chocolate flavored for sweeter dishes, for instance, white chocolate spoons are ideal to serve strawberry panna cotta to guests. Use corn lime spoons to plate seared scallops with corn relish.

With easy-to-serve presentations, these spoons lend to entertaining guests. Topped with smoked salmon, edible spoons can help chefs prepare perfectly constructed canapés. For an appealing soup appetizer, your choice of cheese can be melted and sandwiched between two edible spoons to dip and eat, mimicking that delicious taste of grilled cheese dipped into soup but in a presentation that is a bit easier to offer. Spoons can also be layered with chocolate, whipped cream, and peanut butter for sweet desserts and afternoon snacks. Depending on how the spoons are served, utensils can stay durable for up to 20 minutes for hot foods and liquids like soup or as long as an hour for colder foods like ice creams.  

While you may notice variations in texture and taste between edible spoon companies, you may be surprised by the utensils' abilities to deliver pleasant eating experiences. For instance, Bocado Products smell and taste like crackers and offer a light, crunchy serving option for snacks and meals. Made from wheat flour, olive oil, and salt, these spoons can even be converted into cereal should an accident occur and the utensils be broken. Simply place the cracked pieces into a bowl, add milk, and enjoy the cracker-like cereal with an intact edible spoon. The taste of the edible utensils will vary based on your chosen flavor, and the crunch is like a waffle cone in your dish. For those less interested in the variety of flavors, plain options are available to order and provide a more neutral eating experience.

Since edible spoons are made with different ingredients, double-check labels or consult the manufacturers before using them. Incredible Spoon, for instance, notes that humid environments can cause their utensils to soften, but placing spoons in the fridge before serving can help re-crisp and firm up the texture of the utensils.

After considering edible utensils as additional ingredients to work within your kitchen, serving appetizers and hors d'oeuvres may never be the same. Plus, kids of all ages will surely be entertained when you tell them to eat the spoon.