Make Me Smart From "How We Survive": Food Tour of the Future
Oct 21, 2025
Explore the future of food as companies innovate to combat climate change. Discover lab-grown chocolate and the science behind culturing cocoa cells. Uncover seafood alternatives like cell-cultivated salmon, which promises flavor without the environmental toll. Delve into regulatory hurdles in the industry and understand the public's perception of 'cultivated' versus 'lab-grown.' The need for food sustainability is urgent, prompting discussions about resilient crops and rethinking meat production for 2050.
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Tasting Lab-Grown Chocolate
- Amy Scott tasted three chocolates grown from cocoa cells and preferred the toasty, dark sample over fruitier notes.
- The lab-grown chocolate smelled and tasted like traditional chocolate, easing initial skepticism.
Climate Threatens Cocoa And Coffee Supplies
- Alan Perlstein says climate change, deforestation, geopolitics and demand will push cocoa and coffee prices sharply higher.
- He predicts conventional chocolate could become prohibitively expensive without technological alternatives.
How Cocoa Cells Grow In The Lab
- At California Cultured's C-Lab Amy saw trays of petri dishes with tiny brown clumps of cocoa cells growing into larger cultures.
- The cells are fed sugar and plant extracts, then fermented, roasted, and ground to make chocolate ingredients.