Miniature food

File: Food samples 1.jpg

Regular-sized food models first appeared in Uichi, Japan, in 1917, to display previews of food in the windows of restaurants. Businesses that produced and sold the food models were set up by Iwasaki Ryuzo in 1932. Early models of food were made from wax; nowadays, they are mostly made from plastic and polymer clay, a heat-dependable type of clay.{{cite web|last=Kuniko|first=Sanada|date=15 June 2004|title=Plastic Food to Savor with the Eyes|url=http://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia29/en/topic/index.html|access-date=1 March 2016|website=NIPPONIA}}

Generally delicate and tiny items are called "kawaii" in Japanese; miniature food is created with the Japanese miniature-art techniques of recent decades.{{cite web|last=Hyslop|first=Leah|date=17 March 2015|title=Mini food fad sees tiny - but edible - meals cooked on toy hobs|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinkvideo/11476953/Kawaii-food-trend-sees-amazing-tiny-meals-cooked-on-toy-ovens.html|access-date=24 March 2016|website=The Telegraph}} The creation of miniature food with edible ingredients was popularized by YouTubers Miniature Space and AAAjoken.{{cite web|last=Miller|first=KK|date=5 February 2015|title=Mini-mania! Real Japanese food, but in hamster-sized portions 【Video】|url=http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/02/05/mini-mania-real-japanese-food-portions-but-in-hamster-sized-portions-【video】/|access-date=24 March 2016|website=SoraNews24}} In 2015, a report from video-intelligence firm Tubular Labs indicated that these miniature food videos contributed up to 3% of the total views in the food category.{{cite web|last=Robertson|first=Mark|date=4 December 2015|title=The Growth of Food Content on Youtube|url=https://tubularlabs.com/thought-leadership/growth-food-content-youtube/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407135226/https://tubularlabs.com/thought-leadership/growth-food-content-youtube/|archive-date=7 April 2016|access-date=24 March 2016|website=Tubular}}

File:FeriaAlfenique082.jpgs and fruit at the Feria del Alfeñique in Toluca, State of Mexico]]

Miniature food can be either edible or inedible. Edible miniature food is made from real ingredients cooked with miniature utensils like tiny woks, pans, and knives.{{cite web|last=Cush|first=Andy|date=17 February 2015|title=I Can't Stop Watching These Miniature Japanese-Food Cooking Videos|url=http://internet.gawker.com/i-cant-stop-watching-these-miniature-japanese-food-cook-1686332846|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316192701/http://internet.gawker.com/i-cant-stop-watching-these-miniature-japanese-food-cook-1686332846|archive-date=16 March 2016|access-date=24 March 2016|website=WEIRD INTERNET}} In order to make the miniature food look more realistic, the ingredients will sometimes vary from the original recipes. The food may not be cooked in any type of ceramic cooker. Miniature stoves powered by candles or small pieces of wood can be used to cook the food.{{Cite web|title=Miniature Cooking PT|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKGEB-baihYrSc4xNESP4og|access-date=2020-03-09|website=YouTube|language=en}}

Inedible miniature food is made from materials like polymer clay, resin, and chalk pastels. It is more common than edible miniature food because it serves a wider variety of purposes, such as jewelry, handicrafts, and toys. Also, while ingredients used in edible miniature food are limited, there are more options when making inedible miniature food. The food and the utensils are usually made of polymer clay and dry glue. The artists use dedicated modeling tools to mould and shape the food; sometimes utensils such as sewing needles and toothpicks are also seen in the process of moulding and shaping.

People can purchase these tiny creations to decorate their households or workplaces, and some buy miniature food as gifts, or to collect.

Tomo Tanaka, who lives in Osaka, makes items in 1:12 and 1:24 scale for display.{{cite web|last=Ashcraft|first=Brian|date=25 March 2015|title=Japanese Miniature Art Dazzles All|url=http://kotaku.com/japanese-miniature-art-dazzles-all-1693524456|access-date=24 March 2016|website=Kotaku}}

The YouTube channel Miniature Space uploads videos of making edible miniature meals with ingredients like quail eggs, chicken, and fish.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTFT5NbDl0Fa_fE9Cz_yOAA|title = Miniature Space - YouTube|website = YouTube}} Caroline McFarlane-Watts of Tall Tales Productions makes miniature items in 1:12 scale for film, TV, display, and collectors, and YouTube videos.{{Cite web|title=Realistic Miniatures|url=https://www.tall-tales.com/realistic-miniatures|access-date=25 November 2020|website=Tall Tales Productions|language=en}}

Shay Aaron, a miniature-food jewelry artist, makes jewelry collections with the polymer clay Fimo and other materials, such as metal and paper, in 1:12 scale.{{cite web|date=24 August 2009|title=Interview: Shay Aaron|url=http://sweet-station.com/blog/2009/08/interview-shay-aaron/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401092630/http://sweet-station.com/blog/2009/08/interview-shay-aaron/|archive-date=1 April 2016|access-date=24 March 2016|website=Sweet-Station}}

• Dymkovo toys

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.miniaturefood.jp Miniature Food Association of Japan]
• [http://theminifoodblog.blogspot.hk The Mini Food Blog]
• [http://lubbockonline.com/life-columnists/2016-03-15/larue-include-miniature-desserts-your-easter-table#.VumPgvl9600 LaRue: Include miniature desserts for your Easter table]
• [https://realminiworld.com/]

Category:Food and drink decorations

Category:Scale modeling