Azolla in the Dutch kitchen
BioArt Laboratories is pioneering  the use of Azolla (a small aquatic protein-rich fern) into the Dutch kitchen and giving local industries access to obtainable, protein-rich resources to stimulate the local economy. This is the premise for the B.I.C. Cook Off where chefs are invited to cook with Azolla using their skills, experience and gastronomic expertise. Of course, all participants for the B.I.C. Cook Off! were tested beforehand on Covid-19 to ensure a safe environment! BioArt Laboratories synthesized strengths along with regional parties such as Brainport Industries Campus (B.I.C.) and Dona Stedenbouw for the realization of the cooking battle. 

The B.I.C. Cook Off!
The kick-off of the first B.I.C. Cook off took place during the Landscape Triennial 2021, an international event where designers, experts, locals, entrepreneurs, artists, agriculturists and policymakers come together to address the challenge of initiating a broad, shared discussion on the subject of landscape, titled ‘High Green – Innovating the Landscape’. The perfect time to show what role Azolla can play in the landscape. With a selection of three prominent chefs such as veEveline Wu (restaurant Mood – famous for their sushi boats), Dick Middelweerd (Treeswijkhoeve, cooked for the King Willem Alexander) and Martijn van Vliet (Sodexo, culinary chef specializing in Future Proof Food with a tendency for vegetarian cuisine), the first edition of the B.I.C. Cook Off took place at the B.I.C. Theater along with a livestream for people to see. Home cooks and cooking students from de Rooi Pannen participated in this Cook Off event through another stream, ready with their fresh batch of Azolla. The form of the challenge? The B.I.C. Burger! With only 30 minutes in total, the chefs have to create the most delicious burger for the jury consisting of Carla Kentgens (author and culinary expert), Stan Kerkhofs (Rijkswaterstaat with a knack for circular economy) and Casper Lensen (Epicurean and connoisseur of the fine foods). During the challenge, the host David van Iersel introduced the public to the wonders of Azolla, with co-host Jalila Essaidi providing the narration of the strength of this fern. The home cooks asked questions regarding Azolla and how the chefs work with it, while they are busy cooking as well.

The culinary burger creations
Rich, flavorful and tender. Even crunchy. Words can barely describe the taste and scent of the culinary creations. Martijn van Vliet’s creation is a burger that encompasses the vision of achieving more with less. With a unique process of turning old bread into a tasty bun, Martijn combines flavored onions, a rich mix of biodiverse tomatoes (according to the Future 50 way), homegrown mushrooms on coffee grounds, Azolla and the burger. He tops it off with mayonnaise sprinkled with dried Azolla, as it provides a savory and slightly nutty flavor similar to nori (dried, edible seaweed).

Dick Middelweerd’s creation is a burger with international ingredients such as Asian buns, sweet and sour pickled Brabant asparagus, condiment made from roasted winter carrots with Jalapeño Pepper, beans, Azolla and is completely vegan. For example, he breaded the patty with the juice of chickpeas. What surprised him is the Chimichurri made with Azolla, as it gives a high Umami flavor that also further enhances the taste. 

Eveline Wu surprises us with an unusual approach by using crunchy rice as the bread bun. Instead of using Azolla as part of the burger, she stirred it with eggs to make a delicious omelet to combine with a lightly grilled tuna for a protein-rich burger.

Winner: Martijn van Vliet from Sodexo!
The jury has the difficult task to judge the burger on originality, innovation, structure and taste. Not surprisingly, all of them unanimously agree that all the burgers taste delicious and scored equally on the fields of taste, originality and structure. However, with Martijn’s approach that encompasses the vision of achieving more with less, the jury decided that he stood just above the rest on the field of innovation, and he can claim the first B.I.C. Cook Off! However, everyone – from chefs, the home cooks, the student cooks at Rooi Pannen and the jury – are all considered pioneers and proud winners of the event! B.I.C. director Erik Veurink, Simon Dona and BioArt Laboratories congratulated the participants with this memorable event with lovely flowers and certificates rewarding them  as sustainable pioneers.

If you are interested in the next edition of the B.I.C. Cook Off, where people explore the possibilities of Azolla, you can always sign up at contact@bioartlab.com to stay up-to-date about the upcoming cooking battles.