“Food should be fun.”
– Thomas Keller

Is euglena, the chlorophyll-producing flagellate, the future of food?

I first encountered euglena as a food ingredient from cookies made by the University of Tokyo. These products are being developed by Euglena company of Mitsuru Izumo. Izumo spearheaded this project thinking that euglena can feed and fuel the world.  Their website states that one of their major goals is to solve poverty with the nutrients in euglena. Their aim is to transport the euglena in powder to improve the nutritional conditions of the people in impoverished countries. Nowadays, the company is able to produce 140 tons a week of the protist Euglena gracilis using outdoor cultivation ponds.

I was surprised when I stumble upon a restaurant called Euglena Garden on my last day in Ishigaki Island. I was looking for a place to eat along a road near a mall called, guess what? Euglena Mall! Formerly known as Ayapani Mall until 2011, this mall is consists of two shopping arcades that run parallel to each other.

I don’t know whether the Euglena Mall is owned by Izumo’s company but it’ll be interesting to know why the Euglena restaurant ended up in this island. Anyway, I was so excited to eat my lunch in this restaurant.

I ordered euglena carbonara and the dessert po-po euglena. The drinks are free which include water, tea and of course euglena juice. The food is delicious which has a tinge of “leafy” taste.

Euglena contains a unique starch-like carbohydrate, paramylon, that was shown effective in boosting the immune systems, reducing cholesterol and moderating insulin response when used as a nutritional supplement. It is also rich in anti-oxidants like beta-carotene and vitamins C and E.

Who would have think that even the microscopic organisms can provide flavors and nourishments to our food? So if you get a chance to visit Ishigaki Island, have a euglena lunch, tea or dinner in this unique restaurant.