Chef Roy Choi is Revolutionizing the World of Food by Creating a Healthy Fast Food Chain

Every year for the past four years, chefs from around the world have gathered in Copenhagen to attend the MAD Conference where lengthy discussions of the future of food take place. Ideas range from progressive to wild but generally something amazing comes out of the unique gathering created by chef Redzepi. But that is no surprise seeing as it is a room full of some of the top chefs and food industry professionals in the world. 

This year, it was Roy Choi who produced a revolutionary idea. He intends to design a fast food concept to compete with famous fast food chains Burger King, Wendy’s, and McDonalds. But this concept doesn’t involve just burgers and fries. Named Loco’l, the chain will offer a range of healthy food options all priced between $2 and $6. Food options will include burgers made with a beef and grain mixture, salads, rice bowls, tacos, falafel, and more. Choi stressed the desire to have cross-cultural foods available on the menu. 

According to Choi, the intention is to “go toe to toe with fast-food chains and give the community a choice.” Loco’l would give people those choices by providing the low-income communities nourishing, healthy food without the financial burden. 

The idea first began developing in Choi’s head at last year’s MAD Conference when the chef’s were discussion food deserts and the hunger crisis. But he hasn’t just talked about it, he has already started to take action. 

Since that conference, Choi has opened 3 Worlds Cafe in South Los Angeles serving fresh fruit and smoothies “amid a sea of liquor stores.” 

Choi has paired up with famous chef Daniel Patterson to make this idea into a reality. In addition to Choi’s 3 Worlds Cafe, Patterson has been working with the Larkin Street Youth Clinic providing services to homeless youth.

As Patterson says, “It’s not that chefs aren’t making the effort. What I question is how our efforts are being used.”

But if more chefs and other food professionals get on board with Patterson and Choi, the food industry will begin to see some serious changes, for the better. 

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Rice to Feed the World (Part two of two)

Rice has been feeding countless people for thousands of years but its growing potential was truly recognized this year when Sumant Kumar broke the world record for growing 22.4 tons of rice on just one hectare of land. 

This dedicated Indian farmer has been growing rice for many years, but until recently, his efforts have remained relatively unknown. For him, and many other rice growers, a typically yearly harvest would consist of four or five tons per hectare. But an unusual amount of rain in his village of Darveshpura was responsible for the sudden spike in rice production. He recalls that the stalks he cut on his paddy, located near the bank of the Sakri river, seemed to be significantly heavier than usual as he was harvesting them. 

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When he went to weigh his crop on the village scales, even he was shocked at the result. The result was not eight tons or even fifteen, but a jaw-dropping 22.4 tons of rice. This number allowed Kumar to take the prize for the world record of tons of rice per hectare of land, using only manure free from herbicides to do it. 

This is such big news for us because we whole heartedly believe in the importance rice can have in not only different customs and traditions, but also of helping to feed our growing population of seven billion, half of which uses rice as their staple food. 

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Rice To Feed the World

 Grown for thousands of years, rice has been a food held dear to countless cultures throughout history. Used for everything from comfort food to a religious offering, rice's significance isn't diminishing anytime soon- in fact it is steadily increasing. Accounting for 90% of the world's population and consumption of rice, Asia takes the prize for the biggest rice producer in the world. 

Rice plays an important role in Hindu and Buddhist religious services, two of the major religions of Asia. There is even a Chinese proverb that says that 'precious things are not pearls and jade but the five grains, of which rice is the finest.' There are Chinese myths that say that when the people were starving after a flood, long yellow seeds grew into rice and saved the hungry villagers. 

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So even though, rice being an important part of many cultures and customs is nothing new, it has been said that the plan is to raise the production of rice by 70% in the next few decades after research has shown how rice is a cheap way to provide nutrition for those who need it most. Demands for rice are continuing to grow as people have figured out that if given to poorer urban families, rice can provide up to half of their necessary calories each day. 

The origin of rice or the people who first discovered is unclear, but what is certain is that rice has fed more people for more years than any other crop in history. 

To learn more about the cultural and diversity taught at Fujimini Island, please click here.