incredible Mario Kounio MFA Graphic Design Academy of Art University San Francisco - 2011
Thesis Project The graphics reproduced in this book are ownership of Mario Kounio. All photograph rights in the book are owned by their respective photographers. Copyright 2011
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no more true evidence exists of a culture’s soul and history than its culinary traditions. 03
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hunt for something incredible The IncrEdible food experience brings you closer to another culture in a uniquely primal and modern fashion. Question the cultural stereotypes associated with eating habits.
By expanding your knowledge of another ethnic culture, while at the same time your palate is being delighted with something completely original and bizarre.
The experience resembles the culture shock of suddenly finding oneself in a foreign, busy, open food market. Overwhelmed by sights, sounds, smells and tastes. All that knowledge on a plate.
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look at the world through new eyes These symbols of the mystic culinary arts express the soul of the original continental traditions. Driven by conditions, availability, culture, strife and the exchange of goods and ideas, the tastes in our dishes form the basis for what we call cultural identity. Delicacies that should not just be called “food�.
Through taste, they inform the senses, through their origins dozens of cultures are expressed. As they journey, from their country to your table, they represent the unity, inherent in the human condition... but often easy to dismiss.
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Serves excitement by combining food and information. IncrEdible contains Sacrilicious delights and Grossery grotesque. Clients can find all products in incrEdible Adventures restaurants. Conveniently in every form. Meals, snacks, salads, drinks and sweets; cooked to make the choice of adding something new and exciting to your life that much easier. Try something incrEdible!
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Sacrilicious is the prepared/refrigerated meals arm of IncrEdible. Under the Sacrilicious brand, you can find complete meals from all the cultures represented; as well as snacks for a faster taste at something incrEdible. All Sacrilicious products are refrigerated and perishable. They can be found at either an incrEdible location or at participating grocery stores and supermarkets.
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Grossery Grotesque is the Ingredients arm of incrEdible. Under the Grossery brand you can find pickled and dried ingredients as well as sauces, drink and sweets. Grossery products can be taken home and used to prepare incrEdible meals or just spice up a party. They also make great gifts. Find them in incrEdible Adventures as well as participating grocery stores and supermarkets.
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fringe eating
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By exploring the edges of the gustatory spectrum, we forge new global traditions. Ones that fit our more civilized identity. Stirring ancient ingredients into a new taste with a sustainability base and a frothy glaze of technology. A wholesome taste that takes us back; with just the right amount of spice to excite us.
Eating weird things has been a trend of late. Exotic ingredients such as insects, brains, flowers, dirt. Bizarre dishes previously considered gross or unsavory, are refurbished and presented as the new gourmet. Articles, TV shows and new products have appeared to promote the idea of expanding our culinary vocabulary. Combined with the idea that most of these foods are vastly more sustainable that our slaughterhouse tactics to date. Fringe eating is attached to the ecology paradigm. Most of the proponents of these ideas have already made the case that such concoctions have deep roots in ethnic culture. Having been invented in hardship or in the deep mystic past of every culture on the planet. Eating “out of the box� says that we are not afraid of each other any more. Global culture envelops the darkest corners of our planet; and we want to know about them. Discarding ideas just because they seem bizarre is a thing of the past.
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travel far
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locate adventures
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You can always find something incrEdible to eat close by. Just jump onto the net and search for the one closest to you. You will be transported to a mysterious land of delicious in a snap. Either in the comfortable setting of an incrEdible Adventures restaurant or by purchasing something Sacrilicious from your nearest participating Grosser. Don’t compromise. Locate your neighborhood incrEdible Adventure restaurant or participating Grossery store. You can use incr-edible.net to link to your favorite map site. Reservations are also available through our online booking system.
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Sacrilicious is the Prepared Refrigerated Meals arm of IncrEdible. Under the Sacrilicious brand, you can find complete meals of all the cultures represented; as well as snacks for a faster taste at something incrEdible. All Sacrilicious products are refrigerated and perishable. They can be found at either an incrEdible location or at participating grocery stores and supermarkets.
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from the
americas From the purple mountains and myths of buffaloes, to the jazz of mud and panther gods, grub and legend are fused to create new familiar sensations.
Travelling through the American continent, we track down the roots of it’s culture. Some of the oldest and spiciest traditions live here. Free, brave and soulful culture. Looking out the window we find pre-colonial civilizations that have influenced the continent in many colorful ways. Not the least of which is the culinary arts. Lets take a bite... Our trip will introduce us to the Northern tribes that hunted the bear; through the swamp that spawned jazz, to the high planes ruled by wild cats. Sounds dangerous! Are you up for it?
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grilled
crocodile with delicious collard greens and hearty corn bread
Momma put the ice tea in the fridge. She walked out, on the porch. The crickets roared in the background and the high morning heat was making the landscape in the distance dance like a rattlesnake. Dust preceded the truck coming towards the house. You could hear my brother and father’s laughter as they parked and got off. I ran to help unload the back. To this day, my memory of my brother is that of the hero that killed that monster he was carrying on his back that day. Momma called it a Crocodile.
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ingredients: crocodile steaks collard greens corn starch fresh garlic lemon oregano paprika sugar soy sauce, salt
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from
africa Old as time and wise as true art, with plenty of imagination and fire. Visions of the open plane with animal gods; worshipped in spice. Daring and bold, yet simple fixes.
Travelling down Africa involves a lot of off-road. It’s in the dirt houses and dessert camps that we will find these people’s original cuisine. From the great lakes to the endless dessert, our trip will take us back into our own history. Under the African sun, food is simple, primordial and explosive. Spices are considered sacred and the colors will excite your imagination. We will sleep in the tents and cook in our fire pit. Come in and get comfortable. Nomads will take us part of the way and we will join tribal groups later. The sound of the winds and the smoke off the tea will entertain us along the way. A sensation exciting and yet familiar. 23
cured
camel
in a crunchy poppy seed bun with salty white cheese and peppers
That first morning I woke up in the dessert, was the first life changing moment it gave me. The sun rising over the sand dunes and my friends gathered around the new fire. The aroma of the tea, bread and pastrami getting caught in my turban. The camel’s breath spewing like a djin as I straddled it and started on a new day’s ride, on the soft golden planes of the Sahara. Camels are the spirit of the dessert. Calm and enduring. Strong and strange. They sustain our tribes and we respect them for the life-giving force they represent.
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ingredients: camel pastrami poppy seed bun lettuce peppers olives butter mustard fresh garlic lemon oregano paprika
with fresh fennel and bacon in a spicy vinaigrette sauce
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from
europe Smell leads down a hard, cobble stone narrow alley, out onto a courtyard with an olive tree. Color and taste synch easy here. Poetry of bright moons smelling like fresh herbs.
Whisking along the road, we find every taste imaginable. Historic cuisine and the science of premium ingredients make for a regal gustatory experience. Changing from tradition to tradition almost seamlesly. Recipes whose origins are lost in time. Delicious food with philosophical undertones. Here, culture and cuisine are synonyms. Our journey will take us from the proud, icy north to the rebellious warm south. On the table: ingredients ranging from horn bearing giants of the mountains to the slimy denizens of city sewers. Dishes that describe the turmoilous history of the continent.
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sauted
snails in a hearty garlic bearnaise with crunchy garlic bread
We usually made a day of gathering snails from the neighboring mountain for my grandmother in the summers. Especially after a day’s summer rain. After we came back dirty, with bags of them, a large family gathering always took place in the yard. Snails would be all over that table. In sauce, in the salads, with cheese, with lemon... Accompanied with wines and beers, breads and a lot of conversation. Fighting and laughing, eating and playing. Because snails are delicious and versatile. Everyday gourmet.
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ingredients: snails hollandaise sauce fresh garlic lemon oregano basil vinegar salt pepper tarragon
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from
asia Through the mystic, dark streets of maze-like cities, into the thick of the jungle, and out into the fisherman’s beach. Palm leaf fires and dragons sew the cloudscape. Proud magic.
Down the highest mountains we travel. Through endless desserts and floating cities. Our journey in Asia is profound and mysterious. Is it magic, science or art that we taste? Majestic views of rice fields and walks in the palace gardens poke at our instincts. Healing delicacies are served on lotus blossoms as the aroma of jasmine tells stories of dragons. We taste fabulous sauces of infinite color and wise cultures speak to us about their healing qualities. The lines between science and art are blurred here. It feels like magic.
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cured
octopus in a zesty vinegar sauce with aromatic sea weed risotto
Pulling an octopus out of the water is always a great deal. Its alien look and the unique way you have to deal with it makes it a happening every time. Children always gather around to watch me beat it on the pier. Even though it takes time and effort to slam it into the rocks, it is a fun time. Fishing stories, recipes and jokes are always exchanged. And even though its not the biggest dish its always the star of the table. The deepest part of the ocean in small, meaty, zesty bites. Perfectly suited as a snack and for a hearty meal.
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ingredients: Octopus vinegar fresh garlic rice sea weed basil sea salt fennel jasmine
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from
oceania
On the tattoo sea monsters and digeridoos. Big desert rats fighting in operas and fun in the sun. Old and new in a fresh combo. Pure and creative with a strong essence.
Walking down the beach we hear myths spoken in the wind. Of the sea and the dessert fighting for attention. A war that gave birth to unique traditions. Ones that are powerfully connected to the earth through life and spirit. Grilling on the beach next to the opera while a tattooed shaman communicates with giant rodents miles away. We are taught simple ways to enjoy profound culture. Through dusty planes and into the deep blue sea we come to understand a culture; adventurous by nature. Feeling like we are in a new place; free to reinvent our ethnicity.
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skewered
kangaroo with summery roast vegetables and a refreshing lemon glaze
We always lit a fire after a day on the beach. Someone brought the meat, someone else the veggies and drinks. As the kangaroo steaks were grilled, we sang old songs, played games and fell in love. The palm leafs would make the meat aromatic. Everybody around the big bowl of veggies laughing and drinking. You could taste the music. Hands covered with grease and lemon while the moon glimmers a silver strip of light into the night horizon. A dinner party hosted by the earth.
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ingredients: fresh kangaroo meat onions zucchini peppers tomato lemon oregano salt pepper paprika
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taste authentic
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Grossery Grotesque is the Ingredients arm of incrEdible. Under the Grossery brand you can find pickled and dried ingredients as well as sauces, drink and sweets. Grossery products can be taken home and used to prepare incrEdible meals or just spice up a party. They also make great gifts. Find them in incrEdible Adventures as well as participating grocery stores and supermarkets.
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taste tubes Tasty tour around the weird world
Not sure you want to try our offerings. Take the tour and be delighted. Taste tubes will allow you to make your own travel plan. By mixing our bizarre ingredients into whatever dish you are comfortable with and enjoying it in your own home.
Cured
Once called magic; spices rare as the dessert rose to elevate the meal. Infuse the ingredients with ancient smells .
horse
Have it in a pretzel or on a lettuce, chicken salad with mustard
Preserved
scorpion
Cook with some asparagus or with some onions as a tapa.
Barbecue
larvae
In some toast with pepper jack or with your fries and burger.
crickets
Put them in a salad, or on pasta with red sauce, peppers and wine.
ants
Have them with fruit or as a snack with your liquor and coffee.
Dried Candy
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spices
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drink exciting Does that bottle have a cobra in it?
Whether you want to dare something different or just want to buy a weird and wonderful gift for a friend, a drink from the Grossery Grotesque is what you are looking for. A variety of spirits and tastes to satisfy your thirst and demanding palate.
cobra
Whiskey
worm
Tequila
iquana
Liquor
rat
Vodka
hemp
Beer
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experience spice 03
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classic heroes What is more exciting to learn about a culture than the heroes it idolizes. The cornerstones of its ethical structure. The stories that inspired all their important moments from the time they were children to the critical moments that shaped the future of their countries.
Take a look at the cornerstones of a culture. The building blocks on which its ethical structure is based. There, you will also find the ideas that inspired your favorite stories. Even though you might have never heard of the legends in our books, they are the origins of what we call heroes today. Some of these tales even predate literature. Superheroes of a different age. Through their feats we learn about the aspirations, inspirations and everyday life of their culture.
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weird gear An incrEdible fan wears amazing gear. Sexy stuff with weird visuals that will compliment your adventurous spirit. And with us; you know your money is going to a good cause.
IncrEdible offers a range of gifts and novelty items. Serveware, key chains, mugs, phone cases, aprons, T-shirts and more. Purchase your favorites from an incrEdible Adventure gift shop or online from incr-edible.net. The octa-fork, the knife and serpent, the spoon-brain and other weird and wonderful visuals. Mixes of the modern and mythical in the incrEdible style. Expressions of your adventurous culinary spirit that will add something to any home. All our items are of the finest quality material and durable. Produced and purchased under fare trade laws.
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incredible net Visit incr-edible.net and rediscover your tastes. Travel around the world, freak out over the menu and shop for strange, new things.
In our website, you can review the menu according to the traditions that inspired it, inspect our preparation , reserve a seat in one of our restaurants and shop for food and gear. Make your pack come alive under the Connect tab on the site.
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