Wasan

Forget about hamburgers or pizzas, forget even about instant noodles or precooked foods. In 2250 the most abundant foodstock on planet Earth is wasan. All flavours and vitamins, your five a day and your protein. All in jelly cubes that satiate your appetite but not your soul.

Under increasing pressure to produce food for the growing Earth’s population, and guarantee the sanitary conditions that the immortals desire, they develop a technique to use direct sunlight to produce an edible paste.

Between two flat transparent surfaces, a mineral rich fluid flows. In it, algae grow under the sunlight, producing food for fungi and bacteria. Carefully genetically engineered, these unicellular beings synthesise the proteins, fiber, sugar, vitamins and other necessary nutrients for human development.

Wasan is cheap, much cheaper than animal protein or fresh vegetables. It is often sold in granules or in the form of cheaper gelatine, to avoid losses. It is commercialized with multiple artificial flavours, ever changing, ever new, ever so boring for some people who would rather have the most basic and simple ones. Bread, rice, potato.