In this project, I had the pleasure of collaborating with Julia de la Puente and Manhoor Hasan. The brief challenged us to consider how to source Vancouver’s food locally. We soon realized rice is a staple in many cuisines and households around Vancouver, and rice is not sourced locally. We researched local grains that could be alternatives for rice. We aimed to find a way to distribute, sample and educate people in Vancouver regarding these local alternatives for rice.
We began by trying the different grains that were or could be locally produced. We judged them mainly based on taste, consistency and appearance. After this exploration, we decided to focus on bulgur wheat.
To create an accessible incentive to introduce bulgur wheat as an alternative to rice, we designed a fried rice recipe made with local dried mushrooms and herbs that can be hydrated and cooked effortlessly in the microwave.
Later, we considered how to distribute the recipe and make it accessible. We looked into making it easy to find, cook and affordable. Vending machines were a low-risk, practical way through which we could motivate people to sample the recipe.
We prototyped to design a container suitable to distribute the ingredients through bending machines and prepare the recipe using a microwave. Making the shape and size of the container familiar to the users was also important.
Lid with container for sauce
Pop-up card-stock container with degradable coating
Although this project focuses specifically on fried rice, similar approaches could be used to motivate people to sample and hopefully include a greater variety of grains in their diets, particularly ones that are sourced locally.