There have been edible utensils before, and edible dishes too (think of the tortilla salad bowl or the rice noodle cups in Thai restaurants).

But the category may be on the verge of a breakthrough:

The Best In Show Winner at this year’s International Restaurant Show was Planeteer, for their edible utensils in different flavors.

An estimated 40 billion plastic utensils are used worldwide annually. Planeteer and other companies that are edging their way into the edible category are ostensibly doing it to help save the planet from plastic spoons and forks—quickly used and tossed at fast-food restaurants, food carts, etc.

While people get into the business for sustainability reasons—and we’re very pro-sustainability—we like edible flatware for food fun and flavor.

Search online and you’ll see edible cups, bowls, plates and more. (The easiest way is to search Google Images.)

They are made by small companies that don’t have economies of scale, although some are more affordable than others. Bocado Edible Spoons are $69 for 100 pieces—69¢ per spoon, which isn’t egregious for a special occasion.

Perhaps Planeteer’s win, in front of the restaurant industry, will help spur economies, so more creative cooks and hosts can use edible tableware.
 
 
PLANETEER’S EDIBLE SPOONS

The company is launching three types of spoons for different culinary needs. All have a choice of flavors to complement the food.
 
Tablespoons

 
Soup Spoons

 
Dessert Spoons

[1] Use these Asian-style soup spoons to serve amuses-bouche (photo courtesy Bocado).

[2] How about a mint spoon with strawberry sorbet (photo courtesy Bakeys on Kickstarter)?

Here’s a recipe for fork, spoon and knife cookies.

They’re cookies rather than utensils, but are very fun to serve with ice cream, mousse, panna cotta, etc.

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*Amuse-bouche (pronounced ah-MEEZ boosh) is French for “amusing the mouth.” It’s an hors d’oeuvre-size portion plated on a tiny dish, sent as a gift from the chef after the order has been placed but before the food arrives. It is brought after the wine is poured. It is just one bite: A larger portion would constitute an appetizer. Amuses-bouches tend to be complex in both flavors and garniture, and enable the chef to show creativity. They are now very popular for parties and events, to offer from a tray with cocktails.