Ikea's Test Kitchen Explores Bug Burgers, Algae Buns

It may be a far cry from their iconic Swedish meatballs, but Ikea's test kitchen is churning out burgers made with bugs, hydroponic salads, and herbaceous ice creams. Space10 Lab, Ikea's Copenhagen-based test kitchen, truly believes that their sustainable and apparently "delicious" meal options could be the food of the future.

"At SPACE10, our research is rooted in an important principle. Dishes shouldn't just be healthy or sustainable. They must be delicious, too. To change people's minds about food, to inspire them to try new ingredients, we can't just appeal to the intellect — we have to titillate their taste buds," they wrote on their blog.

Space10 revealed five classic dishes that they reimagined using alternative ingredients like insects, algae and lab-grown meat. No, they won't be on Ikea menus any time soon, but the test kitchen outlined these colorful and creative dishes for their blog so everyone can catch a glimpse at the potential future of food.

The dishes included: the "dogless hotdog" (dried and glazed baby carrots, beet and berry ketchup, mustard and turmeric cream, roasted onions, cucumber salad, and an herb salad mix), the "bug burger" (made with patties containing beetroot, parsnip, potatoes, and mealworms), "the neatball" (two varieties of meatless meatballs, one made with mealworms and another with root vegetables), the "lokal salad" (salad made with hydroponic microgreens), and a microgreen ice cream in flavors like fennel, coriander, basil, and mint.

Ikea has become more food-focused lately. The home design chain has expanded its food division with new market items and even has plans for standalone eateries. Some menu items from their sustainable vegetarian menu have even had successful test runs in Sweden. More sustainable, plant-based foods were totally one of our food trend predictions for 2018. See the rest of them, here!