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Published by
the Center for Genomic Gastronomy
Food Phreaking is the journal of experiments, exploits and explorations of the human food system. Each issue contains stories about the space where food, technology & open culture meet. Food Phreaking Issue 00 is the prequel and contains 38 short stories outlining what Food Phreaking is, and what it is not. Food Phreaking Issue 01 is "A Culinary Compendium of Curious Botanical Fruits". Issue 02 asks "What is In Vitro Meat?" and Issue 03 focusses on the human microbiome. Issues 04: SEEDS uncovers the secret lives of seeds, with short stories and essays written by Genomic Gastronomy and various expert contributors around the globe.
Our newest issue, Issue 4.5, builds on SEEDS, via the tiny botanical space travelers that have been bred, nourished, grown, or eaten off of planet Earth.
The Food Phreaking series is risograph printed in two-color, small run batches. It is self-published and self-distributed by Genomic Gastronomy, with the help of various small grants and contributions, and thanks to our readers' continued support. Food Phreaking is licensed under Creative Commons and each book is available as a free, downloadable PDF below. Thank you and enjoy!
In Food Phreaking Issue 4.5 we zoom in on SPACE SEEDS: the seeds of edible plant varieties that have been cultivated for, or traveled to, outer space. SPACE SEEDS focuses on the peculiar botanical space travelers that have been bred, nourished, grown, eaten, and in some cases even brought back to Earth to repopulate our soils.
Food Phreaking Issue 04 is all about SEEDS. Seeds are the shareable files of the food system. Prior to electrification, seeds were one of the most disruptive technologies in the world, transforming cities, states and entire bioregions. Food Phreaking Issue 04 is filled with short stories that uncover the secret lives of seeds, and longer essays by experts that give a range of perspectives on the importance of research, development and preservation of seeds and the cultures of care or resistance that develop around seeds.
This issue explores some of the bacteria that populate the human gut and body. We asked a handful of the world's leading experts to write a few words about their favorite microorganism, and we asked other contributors to reflect on their current relationship to the largely invisible and undiscovered world of the human microbiome. Food Phreaking Issue 03 assembles these short texts, which collectively provide a snapshot of a field in transition. How will this research into the mysteries of our internal ecosystems change the relationship between our brains, guts, and diets?
This issue gathers the ideas and opinions of a number of scientists and other experts around the topic of in vitro meat. The authors in this publication range from being in vitro meat's developers and most vocal supporters, to some adamant opposers. Collectively, these essays present a diversity of perspectives, and illustrate the challenge of pinning down an emerging technology. So, what is in vitro meat? The basic idea is to encourage muscle cells to grow into a foodstuff and produce meat in a way totally unlike how it is done on farms. Although not currently possible, some scientists are researching how to create a cultured meat that can be produced in factories, expanding small quantities of muscle tissue into much bigger amounts. But the question 'what is in vitro meat' is so much broader than that. What could in vitro meat be? How could it be made? How could it fit into our daily lives? In this publication, a range of experts offer their answer to the question: What is in vitro meat?
In this first issue, we examine a range of botanical fruit cultivars that have been manipulated by human food cultures. Wild plants, ancestors to our domesticated varieties, make up a very small percentage of what humans eat. Most of the animals and plants that we eat are domesticated and cultivated. For example, some of the fruit cultivars featured in this publication have been selectively bred to be larger or sweeter than their crop wild relative. Other cultivars have been genetically modified for pest resistance or herbicide tolerance. Each entry in this issue describes a specific cultivar or variety of botanical fruit that exhibits certain agricultural or culinary traits preferable to humans. Collectively, these examples demonstrate how organisms and environments are manipulated to suit human needs and desires.
Food Phreaking Issue 00 documents 38 concise examples of what Food Phreaking might be, and what it most definitely is not. This book would be of interest to individuals and groups interested in experimenting with human food systems at multiple scales. Food Phreakers believe that food culture should be open, free and accessible. The Food Phreaking journal aims to connect foodies who care about sustainability with the scientists and hackers who care about open culture. Issue 00 sets the stage for the following issues, which explore specific areas and examples of Food Phreaking throughout time and across the planet.
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