Thanks to this new product we might be seeing a lot more blue food at restaurants in Japan over the next few months.

When it comes to Instagrammable food, it’s form over flavor. It doesn’t matter if the food tastes good or not; if it’s pretty on the plate (before you dive in, of course), it’s going up on the ‘Gram.

While ordinary food artfully arranged like high cuisine is also Instagram-worthy, as a chef, the most sure-fire way to get your food shared on social media is to make it unique, like pancakes on a stick; cute, like food shaped into characters; or colorful, like rainbow grilled cheese.

That’s why Kenko, a company that provides packaged foodstuffs to the Japanese food-service industry, created their new “Ocean Blue” dressing: so that restaurants can produce colorful, beautiful, Instagram-worthy plates.

But not at the expense of personal health! Ocean Blue’s blue color comes naturally from Spirulina, which is a powder formed from a certain type of algae that is packed with protein, antioxidants, and vitamins. The dressing also contains collagen, which helps keep skin and joints young, and it’s oil-free, meaning it’s low-fat.

According to Kenko, this healthy, blue dressing can be used in any number of dishes: as a salad dressing, as a pickling agent, with noodles, as a component in sauces, and even on desserts. It’s flavored with grapefruit, which gives it a bite of acidity and a tang of fruitiness that should complement any dish.

If you’re a color nut like me, you’re probably wondering, “Where can I get it?!”, but sadly Ocean Blue doesn’t seem to be available for general purchase by consumers, at least not at your local grocery store. You can always pretend to own a restaurant and order a case from their online shop, though, where it sells for 502 yen (US$4.50) for a 500-milliliter (16.9-ounce) bottle.

In any case, you might find a lot more blue foods at restaurants in Japan over the next few months, as chefs begin to experiment with new menus using this new “superfood” dressing. Maybe some place will serve it with blue yakiniku and blue takoyaki for an all-blue meal!

Source: PR Times via Netlab
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Kenko