[Concurrent] Aditi Deodhar, student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Under the current COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants' takeout volume is increasing rapidly, and more plastic waste is created, so this has become an increasingly serious problem in Hong Kong.
[Explanation] The new crown epidemic continues to raging in Hong Kong, and the number of restaurant takeaways has surged, and the pressure on the recycling of plastic tableware has also increased.
Recently, Aditi, a junior at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology School of Business Administration, led a team to create an edible tableware that can be used to replace the plastic tableware used in takeaways and solve the imminent plastic pollution problem in Hong Kong.
A few days ago, the reporter met this entrepreneurial team in the kitchen of the student dormitory of the University of Science and Technology.
[Explanation] Aditi introduced to reporters that this kind of tableware is made of whole wheat flour. In order to avoid a large amount of air entering the dough and affecting the firmness of the tableware, the speed of kneading the dough should be fast and the dough should be uniform in texture.
Then make the kneaded dough into chopsticks, spoons, etc., put it in the oven and bake for one hour, and let it cool before use.
A series of system procedures seem simple, but in the actual operation process, the team encountered a lot of difficulties.
[Concurrent] Aditi Deodhar, student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The biggest difficulty in the process of making edible tableware is because it is made of whole wheat flour, so when we bake, its shape may change, because the inside of the dough is unevenly heated, so in order to maintain its shape To be stable, we do need metal molds so that they are not affected by high temperatures in the oven.
So in the process, we tried to customize the mold in Hong Kong.
[Explanation] However, due to the small demand, Aditi and its partners could not find a manufacturer willing to customize the mold for them.
But they did not give up, but tried again and again with existing tools, and finally a simple and clever idea came into being.
[Concurrent] Aditi Deodhar, student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Now we use ceramic chopsticks and spoons, sandwich the dough between two ceramic chopsticks, or two ceramic spoons, and tie them together with food cotton thread, which becomes a temporary mold, which is made by ourselves Ideas that came up.
After the baking is completed, when people actually use it, because we bake it at a lower temperature for a longer time, its shell becomes very hard, so when the user dips the tableware into the hot soup, its The shape will not change.
[Explanation] After the product was made, the team invited many volunteers to try the tableware.
Today, their homemade tableware can remain intact for at least half an hour after eating.
A few days ago, this project also won a prize of 25,000 Hong Kong dollars in the school’s entrepreneurial competition.
Aditi said that in the future, they will also focus on developing richer flavors to make these tableware "more delicious."
[Concurrent] Aditi Deodhar, student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
These tableware also face the problem of taste. Some people say that it is not delicious as a snack after meal, because currently we have not added any flavor to the tableware. We want to ensure that the taste used is pure and natural and still looks delicious after eating. .
So we are looking for pure natural flour and ingredients that can match the target group's Chinese cuisine well, so we experimented with other flavors such as kelp, curry, chili, etc. to make these tableware more delicious.
[Explanation] At present, this project is still in the research and development stage. The team will improve the shape and robustness of the tableware by adjusting the production formula and improving the baking method to ensure that the product is perfected before being put on the market.
Reporter Fan Siyi and Li Yue from Hong Kong
Editor in charge: 【Luo Pan】