International Journal of Food Design - Volume 10, Issue 2, 2025

This article develops an analytical framework for examining how three-dimensional (3D) food printing creates cultural meaning by transforming Lévi-Strauss’s culinary triangle through semiotic analysis. Current scholarship emphasizes material science, engineering parameters and attitude measurement, overlooking the fundamental challenge of integrating computational cooking into culturally embedded food practices. Food studies scholarship demonstrates a robust tradition of employing structuralist and semiotic theories to analyze material culinary practices as meaning-making systems. Building on this established approach, the Digital Culinary Triangle framework presented here examines transformation pathways between conventional preparation methods, digital fabrication processes and emerging cultural interpretations. Analysis across diverse contexts, including therapeutic nutrition, maker communities and haute cuisine, reveals how digitally fabricated food negotiates acceptance through its semiotic positioning relative to traditional foodways. The framework demonstrates that technological adoption requires more than engineering precision or nutritional optimization; it necessitates coherent integration within existing symbolic systems of culinary meaning. This synthesis offers researchers systematic tools for investigating technology-mediated food experiences while providing practical guidance on cultural preconditions for embedding novel food technologies into everyday gastronomic practice.

This study explores the relationship between culinary education and the application of creative processes among chefs in Ecuador, identifying a critical gap between formal training and creative practice in professional kitchens. Despite the region’s rich gastronomic potential, there is a lack of structured models tailored to the local context that systematically foster innovation. To address this gap, the research proposes a context-specific model for implementing creative processes in professional cooking. The model responds to the contextual needs of Ecuadorian chefs, bridging formal theory with everyday practice and acknowledging both structured methodologies and intuitive creativity. Employing a qualitative, descriptive method, the study draws on a comprehensive literature review and purposive sampling of expert informants within the culinary field. The findings inform the development of a creative process model designed to support chefs in enhancing innovation, improving culinary practices and elevating the local gastronomic offer. This model contributes to the advancement of culinary education and professional development in regional contexts.

Street vending is a vital part of the urban informal economy worldwide, providing accessible food, employment and cultural vibrancy. In Bangkok, food vendors in urban flea markets often operate within both formal and informal settings, frequently navigating spatial limitations and regulatory ambiguity. This study investigates how vendors manage their selling space and organize their equipment to optimize efficiency, hygiene and service delivery under varying constraints. Drawing on observations of 251 stalls across eleven flea markets, the research categorizes vendors based on market formality and space structure, identifying key adaptive strategies. The findings highlight vendor-led spatial innovation, the role of equipment in layout design and the influence of market type on organization. Grounded in literature on informal economies and critiques of top-down regulation, the study argues for a flexible, incentive-based management approach, like rent scaled to actual space use, to support vendor equity and urban order. This research contributes to global discussions on informal urbanism, offering practical insights for city planners and market managers.

Exploring alternative food resources is a critical strategy for addressing environmental degradation linked to industrial agriculture. Microalgae, rich in nutrients and environmentally sustainable, offer considerable promise but face acceptance barriers, particularly in China. Despite the country’s dominant position in global microalgae production, consumer uptake remains minimal. This article investigates the cultural and sensory perceptions that impede consumption and employs a speculative food design methodology to prototype a homegrown microalgae seasoning product. The study aims to overcome barriers by fostering consumer familiarity, trust and engagement through a dual-component system that integrates a cultivation incubator with a seasoning dispenser. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on sustainable food innovation and lifestyle transformation by aligning design strategies with Chinese dietary philosophy and consumer behaviour.